Thursday, May 02 2024 | Updated at 06:55 AM EDT

Stay Connected With Us F T R

Dec 22, 2016 09:32 AM EST

There's some good news for prostate cancer patients as a team of medical researchers have administered a trial for a new kind of treatment using sea bed bacteria. The trial has shown some promise after half of the patients involved in the trial has shown complete remission.

The study, which was published in the Lancet Oncology, was conducted at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. It involved 413 men diagnosed with prostate cancer. Half of them were injected with a light sensitive drug into their bloodstream. Then, they added a drug that destroys the tumor tissue while leaving the healthy ones unharmed.

The deep sea bacteria comes from the deepest part of the ocean where light does not exist literally. However, it becomes toxic when exposed to light. Using this bacteria, the doctors inserted ten fiber optic lasers through the patients' perineum and straight into the cancerous gland. When they switch the laser on, the light triggers the toxicity of the bacteria in drug form and attacks the cancer cells.

What's significant about this new therapy was that its effect and discomfort is only short-lived compared to what is being used by doctors nowadays. The most popular prostate cancer therapy causes lifelong erectile problems while some patients suffer incontinence.

On the other hand, patients given this breakthrough therapy only suffered short-term erectile and urinary discomfort which can last up to three months. After that time period, everything goes back to normal.

Moreover, those who received the groundbreaking light therapy have three times lower the risk of the cancer progressing to a more dangerous stage. This breakthrough therapy brings hope and assurance to men all over the world since one in 7 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer according to the American Cancer Society.

Dr. Matthew Hobbs from the Prostate Cancer UK said that the next big challenge in this study will be which among the men will wait and see as well as what patients will receive this type of therapy and who will have more invasive treatments.

See Now: Covert Team Inside Newsweek Revealed as Key Players in False Human Trafficking Lawsuit

Follows Prostate Cancer Treatment, prostate cancer, Prostate Cancer Light Therapy
© 2024 University Herald, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Must Read

Common Challenges for College Students: How to Overcome Them

Oct 17, 2022 PM EDTFor most people, college is a phenomenal experience. However, while higher education offers benefits, it can also come with a number of challenges to ...

Top 5 Best Resources for Math Students

Oct 17, 2022 AM EDTMath is a subject that needs to be tackled differently than any other class, so you'll need the right tools and resources to master it. So here are 5 ...

Why Taking a DNA Test is Vital Before Starting a Family

Oct 12, 2022 PM EDTIf you're considering starting a family, this is an exciting time! There are no doubt a million things running through your head right now, from ...

By Enabling The Use Of Second-Hand Technology, Alloallo Scutter It's Growth While Being Economically And Environmentally Friendly.

Oct 11, 2022 PM EDTBrands are being forced to prioritise customer lifetime value and foster brand loyalty as return on advertising investment plummets. Several brands, ...