Shedding Light on Early Cancer Detection

SCIENCE -- January 11, 2012 at 5:11 PM EDT

Shedding Light on Early Cancer Detection

Vadim Backman, a biomedical engineer at Northwestern University is working to develop cancer detection procedures that are less invasive and more accurate. When cancer starts developing, cells in other parts of the body undergo changes. By using a technique that involves bouncing light off of harvested human cells, scientists can detect abnormalities in the cells, they've found.

"Early detection of cancer is absolutely not only key, but probably the only way for us to win the war against cancer, Backman says.

Miles O'Brien reports on the story for the National Science Foundation's* Science Nation.

For the record, the National Science Foundation is an underwriter of the NewsHour.

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