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Fiber lasers in medical applications
Lasers, specifically fiber lasers, are already implemented in medical diagnosis, treatments, and therapies. Scientific laser systems are promising for many fields of medical studies, one of them being cancer research and treatment. Cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with approximately 14 million new cases and 8.8 million cancer-related deaths per year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Late-stage presentation and inaccessible diagnosis and treatment are common.
Challenges in early cancer diagnosis
In 2017, only 26% of low-income countries reported having pathology services generally available in the public sector. Only one in five low- and middle-income countries has the necessary data to drive cancer policy. The recommended management strategy, which can significantly reduce cancer mortality, is early diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
Three steps of early diagnosis
Early diagnosis consists of three steps that must be integrated and provided promptly:
- awareness and accessing care
- clinical evaluation, diagnosis, and staging
- access to treatment
It is relevant in all settings and the majority of cancers. In the absence of an early diagnosis, patients are diagnosed at late stages when curative treatment may no longer be an option. However, it should be noted, biopsy and histopathology are invasive, costly, and time-consuming procedures, although they are necessary for a clinical examination of the suspicious lesion.
Laser technology is driving cancer research forward
Laser innovations drive the field of cancer studies forward. Laser systems provide new and promising ways of not only treating cancer in patients but to detecting cancer cells early on and efficiently removing tumors. Recent developments in laser technology have been highly beneficial to cancer research. One of how scientific laser systems are applied is through the use of laser technology to detect specific cells.
Raman fiber laser in cancer detection
A specifically designed device based on the Raman fiber laser is used to differentiate between cancer cells and healthy cells. The distinction happens by measuring the way different cells reflect laser-based light. The elimination of all cancer cells is a critical part of cancer treatment due to major complications in the case of cancer cells remaining after the surgery. However, the detection of malignant cells during surgery is challenging.
Advantages of Raman fiber laser
Cancer cells are hard to detect visually; laser systems are highly useful since they allow for the detection of the difference in light reflection from healthy and cancer cells. The Raman fiber laser used in the device is highly accurate, which is desired in the field, as the information obtained is used to remove tissue. The 90% accuracy of the device improves the ability to locate stray cancer cells during surgery by 10%.
Raman fiber lasers and fiber lasers, in general, could potentially be incorporated into other instruments. The accuracy of scientific laser systems may allow them to be used as specialized needles for taking biopsies; the use of lasers in surgical robots is also promising.