Listening for Cancer Cells

Roland Piquepaille writes "According to researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia, it's now possible to detect skin cancer cells present in blood samples by listening to the sound of melanoma cells. The scientists have used a method named photoacoustic detection, which uses a laser to make cells vibrate and ultrasound techniques to pick the sound of cancerous cells. This technique is so precise that it's possible to identify the spread of cancer even if there are only ten melanoma cells in a blood sample. Still, large clinical tests must be done before this method can be widely used."

Comments

This one's go

[ackthpt]

This one's got the Rockinpneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flue

Re:This one's go

[thewiz]

Actually, I'd bet cancer cells play the Imperial March from Star Wars.

Plus Darth Vader breathing noises.

They also found a new way to kill the cells too

[antifoidulus]

they just tell the RIAA that they are infringing on their copyrighted "sound of cancer" Clean them up real quick :P

Re:They also found a new way to kill the cells too

[stunt_penguin]

And in the naked light I saw
Ten rounds of chemo, maybe more

Tumor growing without shrinking
Pack a day, what was I thinking?

Things are going wroooong,
I'm loosing all my hair....
It's not fair

This is the sound... of Cancerrr

Hrm...

[Stile 65]

From TFA:

Because of melanin, melanoma is the only type of cancer whose cells will strongly absorb all wavelengths of light, emitting ultrasounds that stand out from those of other cells.

How difficult would it be to modify melanin to produce electricity (or even sugar) from light? It sounds like it has a much wider absorption spectrum than chlorophyll, which could make things very interesting for genetic engineering and/or solar power!

One must wonder

[nizo]

Do they make little screaming noises or evil laughing noises?

G*D-damned anonymous nimrods!

[mmell]

Did you even read the article? It seemed to be from a reputable source, reporting current, important information of interest not only to /.'ers but to the world community. The article was concise, reasonably well written and dealt not with some incredibly distant possible technology but rather with a technology which could very soon be in routine use in oncology centers around the world.

I don't care if Roland Piquepaille is a shameless whore, trying to drive hits and business to his website (although I didn't see any of that in this article). In this instance, he has posted an article which is reasonably intelligent, reasonably presented (clicked through thirty pages of NYT to read thirty paragraphs of a story lately?), and likely to be of interest to /.'s target audience. What's your major malfunction, maggot?

Then again, I suppose the name "anonymous coward" says it all, eh?

what do they sound like?

[revery]

Apparently cancer cells sound very much like the Starland Vocal Band and can frequently be heard singing "Afternoon Delight" while carrying out their destructive task.

Which is just one more good reason to eradicate cancer once and for all...

Luke, use photoacoustic detection...

[fahrbot-bot]

• Luke: How was your chemotherapy treatment?
• Obi-Wan: It's as if millions of cancer cells suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.