Bohemia, NY (PRWEB) February 01, 2013
On February 1, Voices Against Brain Cancer (VABC) responds to a new contrast agent that doctors are using to make brain tumors glow in order to see them more clearly and define their margins.
A recent article from Futurity.org states that “the contrast adheres to a molecular marker of medulloblastoma, a form of brain cancer, and can be seen by a high-powered optical microscope system.”
The article went on to state that knowing where the exact margins of brain tumors begin and end, along with residual cancer cells, can have a significant impact on surgery and also presents the possibility of forming a new kind of non-invasive surgery on brain cancer patients.
The researchers are also developing a new microscope that will improve the detection and treatment of several different types of cancer, including brain and oral cancer, reports Futurity.org.
“VABC is always excited to hear about new brain cancer research,” said Michael Klipper , Chairman of VABC. “Being able to detect the exact margins of brain tumors is a big step for all patients that are battling cancer.”
Klipper added that glioblastomas (the most common and deadliest type of brain tumors) almost always re-form from residual cancer cells left behind after surgery. The ability to see all of the cells that are left behind may lead to the possibility of completely removing glioblastomas.
VABC has a wide variety of initiatives in place for brain cancer research, awareness and support. The organization’s research grants fund cutting-edge research programs that will have a monumental impact on the diagnosis and treatment of brain cancer. VABC currently funds research at several esteemed institutions such as Brookhaven National Laboratory, Cleveland Clinic, Columbia, Cornell, Duke, Harvard, John Hopkins, Memorial Sloan-Kettering and Yale, to name a few.
VABC's mission is to find a cure for brain cancer by advancing scientific research, increasing awareness within the medical community and supporting patients, their families and caregivers afflicted with this devastating disease.
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