Pioneering research helps to identify cancerous tumours in children

Congratulations to WEISS members Stefano Giuliani, Dale Waterhouse, Dan Stoyanov, Paul Beard and Laura Privitera for their work on a pioneering imaging technique, to help identify cancerous tumours in children. The new treatment uses short-wave infrared light (SWIR) to light up the cancerous cells.

The work has implications for treating neuroblastoma, which is the most common form of solid cancer tumour, other than brain tumours, found in children. Standard treatment typically involves surgery to completely remove cancerous cells, which can be difficult to see as they look similar to the surrounding healthy tissue.

Team leader Dr Stefano Giuliani, Consultant Paediatric Surgeon at Great Ormond Street Hospital and Associate Professor at UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, said: “Surgery to remove neuroblastoma requires a delicate balance. Remove too little and the tumour might grow back, but remove too much and the surgeon risks damaging the surrounding blood vessels, nerves and other healthy organs. This technique effectively lights up the tumour, allowing surgeons to remove it with unprecedented precision. We hope to be able to translate this innovative technology into clinical practice at GOSH as soon as possible to benefit the largest number of children with cancerous tumours.”

Read more about the research work here.

iStock. Credit: stefanamer