A Quicker Way to Identify Skin Cancer

A new device that a doctor holds right over a mole uses laser light to determine if it's melanoma.

Detecting melanoma—the most lethal form of skin cancer—still relies on dermatologists eyeballing moles and deciding which ones warrant a biopsy. A new handheld device developed by scientists at the British Columbia Cancer Agency (BCCA) and licensed to Verisante Technology could provide instant information about the molecular makeup of moles.

The device, called the Verisante Aura, is held above a mole, and uses Raman spectroscopy, a technique that distinguishes molecules using their vibrational states, to scan for those whose relative concentrations are characteristic of melanoma. The device returns a verdict within seconds. Following a successful small clinical trial, Verisante is now analyzing the results of another trial with 1,000 moles. The company plans to seek approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Canada Health later this year.

For patients whose melanoma isn't caught early, the life expectancy is less than a year. And rates of the disease are skyrocketing: the current estimate is that one in 58 Americans will get melanoma in their lifetime, up from one in 1,500 in 1935.

Work on the new device began in 2000, when dermatologists at BCCA were studying whether certain skin diseases could be identified by their unique spectral characteristics. In Raman spectroscopy, laser light changes the vibrational state of the bonds within molecules, which in turn causes a shift in the light that is reflected back to a sensor. The magnitude and direction of that shift reveal what molecules are in the sample, and at what concentration.
Link

How to Improve Communication

As the Internet advanced, a host of efficient new communication tools became available. Social networking sites are considered "new technology" because of their widespread popularity in a relatively short span of time. These sites are used to connect users with their friends and family, favorite companies, musicians, alumni networks or any such individual or group. As networks such as Facebook and Twitter grow, businesses and governments are increasingly using them to improve communication with clients. For example, according to Ozmosis, Inc.'s 2009 study, "Health Alerts & Lessons Learned from H1N1," 255 hospitals had a presence on Facebook and Twitter to better communicate with patients and the general public.

Link

The Science Breakthroughs that 2011 May Bring

From discovering the so-called God particle and confirming the existence of an Earth-like exoplanet to understanding more about the brain and even defining a fourth domain of life, the science possibilities for 2011 are awe-inspiring.

Here's a look at some of what may come to bear in the coming year

Link