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Anti-Matter's Potential in Treating Cancer

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the healthy-physics dept.

eldavojohn writes "The BBC is taking a look at how atomic physicists are developing cancer treatments. A step past radiotherapy, the CERN institute is publishing interesting results: 'Cancer cells were successfully targeted with anti-matter subatomic particles, causing intense biological damage leading to cell death.' The press release from last year is finally sparking interest in the medical community."

14 of 216 comments (clear)

  1. Ah yes.. by ravenshrike · · Score: 5, Funny

    Because setting off miniature broad-spectrum emp blasts inside your body it a GOOD thing.

    1. Re:Ah yes.. by tomhudson · · Score: 4, Funny

      WEll, they originally thought it would be a huge money-maker by using antimatter to clean teeth - eveyone wants a big white smile. However, trials proved that "tooth is stronger than fiction."

    2. Re:Ah yes.. by captnitro · · Score: 4, Funny

      You mean, tooth is stronger than fission.

    3. Re:Ah yes.. by jesdynf · · Score: 4, Funny

      Because setting off miniature broad-spectrum emp blasts inside your body it a GOOD thing.

      Yeah, having to reboot all your nanobots is so much worse than dying of cancer. The terrible spectre of EMP is a little less scary when you're already gonna die.

      While I'm on the subject, though, cut them some slack. They're using antimatter. Antimatter! As medicine. Antimatter as medicine! This is the most awesome thing I've read this year. I thought nitroglycerin was cool, but this -- what's next? Using Great Old Ones to soothe colicky babies?

      --
      Yahoo! Pipes are awesome. How awesome? http://pipes.yahoo.com/jesdynf/slashdot
    4. Re:Ah yes.. by TeknoHog · · Score: 4, Funny

      At least good old brushing works, since tooth is stronger than friction.

      --
      Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
    5. Re:Ah yes.. by AdamThor · · Score: 3, Funny

      Because setting off miniature broad-spectrum emp blasts inside your body it a GOOD thing.

      For thoses worried about potential health effectses of anti-matter, I likes to present my own alternative research: The Hammer's Potential in Treating the Cancer.

      Scientists say 'Cancer cells were successfully targeted with a hammer, causing intense biological damage leading to cell death.'

      It works like this - you stands very still, and I hits you in the cancer with hammer.

      --
      -- "Oh. This guy again."
  2. Newfangled, downtown fancy pants hightech. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny


    Sounds too newfangled and high tech for me.

    I'd prefer it if they used they did what they did back in my great-great-grandfather's time: the Shotgun Method
    The doctor/vet/farmboy would place the muzzle of the shotgun to the tumour and blast it out. Sure, there's some peripheral damage and blood loss but it's tried and true. Sucks if you use it to treat testicular cancer, but a light 410 load of birdshot, some frozen peas and you'd be back on your feet in 8 months.

  3. But my complete understanding of physics says... by thomasdz · · Score: 3, Funny

    That you need Dilithium crystals and a Scottish engineer to make it work effectively.
    (either that or you need to reverse the polarity of something or other and channel the output through the main sensor grid) ...or am I mixing up TV with reality again? :-)

    TDz.

    --
    Karma: Excellent. 15 moderator points expire sometime.
  4. Overdosing Kills by Dr.+Eggman · · Score: 3, Funny

    Time of Death: 2:30pm

    Cause: Drug overdose

    Location: A little bit over here,little bit over there, and significant portions missing.

    --
    Demented But Determined.
  5. Somewhere in a parallel universe... by Waffle+Iron · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...antimatter beings have just discovered that cancer may be treatable with particles of ordinary matter.

  6. Re:Okay n00b question by Tablizer · · Score: 4, Funny

    Can someone please explain what Anti-matter actually is?

    It is kind of like negative Mod points. They anialate your Karma.

    --
    Table-ized A.I.
  7. Re:So how do we administer it? by MillionthMonkey · · Score: 3, Funny

    They introduce the antitumor and it annihilates the tumor.

    Although they have to be careful not to damage the surrounding tissue. This means avoiding use of antimuscles, anticonnective tissue, antibones, antilivers, and antibrains.

  8. I Cured Cancer! by Tablizer · · Score: 3, Funny

    It just dawned on me: the solution to curing cancer is to cross it with anti-cancer!

    --
    Table-ized A.I.
  9. Re:brilliant by Flodis · · Score: 3, Funny

    You think you're surprised? I've been spraying myself with positrons every morning for the past five years to look younger!
    You should've used tachyons.