1 September 2012

Targeting a tumor of a fraction of a millimeter and sending it an ultra-powerful dose of radiation: this the revolution suggested by a new technique that Université de Sherbrooke has developed.

Daniel Houde and Hakim Belmouaddine

This new approach, the first of its kind in the history of radiotherapy, depends on the emission of an infrared radiation laser capable of targeting a tumor with unmatched accuracy.

“This discovery could have a clinical application in a couple of years and it could ultimately replace conventional radiotherapy treatments for different kinds of cancers, notably certain skin cancers,” explains Daniel Houde, Professor at the Department of Nuclear Medicine of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciencesat Université de Sherbrooke and researcher at the Centre de recherche clinique Étienne-Le Bel (CRCELB – Clinical Research Centre) of the CHUS.

The Sherbrooke research team’s discoveries are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science magazine.

» Access to the article

Source: Université de Sherbrooke
Photo credit: Robert Dumont