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A review : Applications of the laser beam in cancer biology
Author(s) -
Goldman Leon
Publication year - 1966
Publication title -
international journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.475
H-Index - 234
eISSN - 1097-0215
pISSN - 0020-7136
DOI - 10.1002/ijc.2910010402
Subject(s) - laser , cancer , medicine , basal cell , microprobe , cancer cell , pathology , medical physics , optics , chemistry , physics , mineralogy
Experiments with lasers in the past three years have shown encouraging initial results in many fields of cancer research. Laser technology, still in its early phases of development, is a new discipline even for the radiation biologist. Those in cancer research who wish to work with the laser must have help and co‐operation from the laser physicist and laser engineer. The cancer investigator must be familiar with all types of lasers, especially the recent high‐output, continuous‐wave lasers: the hazards of laser radiation must be known and a definite program of area and personnel protection must be available before any work is started. The laser attached to the microscope is valuable accessory instrumentation for work in cancer cytology and cytogenetics. The laser microprobe can do spectroscopy of living cancer tissues without significant destruction of the specimen. Some of the various parameters of the laser reaction in tissue have been studied in cancer in animals, the most striking results being obtained with melanomas. More studies are needed in cancer immunobiology concerning laser treatment and the role of the laser in aiding or hindering the induction of tumors. Laser synergism with gamma radiation and cancer chemotherapy is also still in the very early stages. Laser treatment of human cancer has been limited to accessible lesions or to those made accessible by the surgeon. The most important results have been obtained with melanoma; other lesions have included a variety of skin tumors, including nonpigmented and pigmented basal cell epitheliomas, squamous cell epitheliomas, malignant lymphomas and vascular tumors. The relatively few visceral lesions treated have been adenocarcinomas and brain tumors. Many of the clinical investigations in patients with multiple tumors have not been controlled with other modalities of surgery, especially electrosurgery. Laser technology, then, is a new field in which the cancer chemist, the cancer biologist, the cancer radiologist and especially the cancer surgeon must become interested so that the very necessary basic studies may be continued in all these fields.