Making a difference to the diagnosis and treatment of cancer

"It is our dream that by using imaging technology developed at the University of Dundee, people will be diagnosed and treated for cancer at the same time, walking out of the clinic disease free," explained Professor Zhihong Huang.

"Our multidisciplinary team involving researchers from a number of clusters, is successfully developing innovative, effective ways to detect, target and monitor cancer at a very early stage," said Professor Huang. "By detecting tumours when they’re only a few millimetres in size, micro-medicine equipment can also destroy the tumour by targeting it with precision-accurate lasers or sound waves."

Professor Huang revealed that the project involves imaging technology, keyhole surgery, micro-medicine and non-invasive surgery, as well as close collaboration with the Cancer Research UK scientists at the Wellcome Centre at Dundee and highly experienced surgeons at Ninewells Hospital, including Professor Ghulam Nabi.

"Finding and treating cancer early is vitally important," said Professor Nabi, who is the Head of Division (Imaging Science & Technology), School of Medicine. "It is my hope that this work will lead to more streamlined diagnoses, with fewer biopsies and the potential to tell the difference between aggressive and non-aggressive forms of cancer."

 Professor Huang revealed that, so far, the results of the team’s research and development are highly promising. "The ground-breaking biomedical engineering research being carried out at the University combined with the collaborative work with other departments, other organisations, clinicians and surgeons are ensuring this project will really make a difference to the diagnosis and treatment of cancer."