Data on Demand

Doctors have many powerful treatments at hand to fight cancer, but they lack good reconnaissance. Current imaging and scanning techniques take a snapshot of the tumour at a particular moment in time. But tumours can grow and change quickly, so doctors need to take more regular measurements to keep up. Now scientists have developed a tiny sensor (pictured) that can be implanted into a tumour, where it constantly monitors the acidity of the tissue and the amount of oxygen dissolved in it. These measurements provide a picture of the tumour’s health. The sensor transmits the data wirelessly and doctors can access it at any time to track how a particular patient is responding to a therapy. This will allow them respond to changes rapidly, by adjusting dosages or switching therapies when necessary. Such tailored treatment could ultimately improve a patient’s survival, while reducing their exposure to side effects.

Written by Deborah Oakley

Deborah Oakley

Writer

Deborah is researching healthy cognitive ageing at the University of Cambridge. She previously worked as a science communicator in London, working closely with the BPoD team.

• Image from work by Michael Cima and colleagues
• Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Reproduced with permission from the Royal Society of Chemistry
• Published in Lab on a Chip