All over the world, dedicated scientists are spending countless hours trying to figure out how to beat cancer. They’re finding out more and more about how the disease works, along with substances and treatments that may be able to halt its progress and ways of diagnosing it before it does serious damage.
Here are some of their recent findings.
Breath test Your breath could provide clues to whether you’re in the early stages of cancer. Scientists say certain chemicals in your breath may indicate that you have the disease and are working on tests to use these chemicals to help diagnose cancer early. This could save millions of lives.
Tiny torpedo It’s hoped a tiny “torpedo” that whizzes through the body to seek and destroy tumours could be the latest weapon in the fight against cancer. The device, which is much smaller than a human hair, can be loaded with anti-cancer drugs. It is able to find cancerous tissues (which it can tell apart from from healthy ones), attaches itself to them and releases the drugs.
Jam packed Scientists are investigating the possibility that an ingredient found in jam may help stop cancer spreading. Pectin, a natural fibre found in fruit and vegetables , is used as a gelling agent in foods like jam.
Hot shot A leading medical expert believes it may be possible to develop a vaccine that could help to protect against breast cancer. Professor Valerie Beral, from oxford University, says scientists should be using the knowledge that breastfeeding decreases the risk of getting the disease to create a jab or pill that mimics the effects of breastfeeding.
Killer vitamin It’s been suggested for many years that large doses of vitamin C may help to kill off cancer cells, and a recent US study backs up this theory.
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