Anyone that has lost a family member to cancer knows that the disease is nothing short of horrible. Thankfully, and perhaps miraculously, a new type of laser has been invented that may lead to the most dramatic and effective treatment of cancer ever.
The University of Michigan has created a machine that emits a laser pulse that lasts for only one quadrillionth of a second (what scientists call a "femtosecond"). What makes this laser so unique, and potentially so effective for cancer treatments, is that it can destroy a particular cell without harming the surrounding tissue. For instance, a cancerous tumor could be targeted and eliminated with the laser, while the other tissues in the region would not suffer from an elevated heat. Since the burst of laser energy is so short, the heat does not spread to non-targeted areas.
Scientists predict that in the very near future cancer patients could undergo laser treatments that completely destroy any cancer cells, while being able to leave the hospital shortly after the treatment. For many of us, this day could not come soon enough.
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