Could Black Holes Help Treat Cancer Patients?

Ringel05

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Astronomers studying stars and black holes have made a discovery that could lead to safer, more effective cancer treatments down the road.

A new kind of radiation therapy?

The researchers' computer simulations suggest that hitting a single gold or platinum atom with a small dose of X-rays at a narrow range of frequencies produces a flood of more than 20 low-energy electrons.

These ejected electrons can kill cancer kills, shredding their DNA, researchers said. So doctors could embed many heavy-metal nanoparticles inside and around tumors, then hit them with a tailored shot of radiation.

The resulting electron shower could obliterate a tumor. And the process would greatly reduce a patient's radiation exposure compared to most current radiation treatment methods, researchers said.

Could Black Holes Help Treat Cancer Patients?
 
Cancer rates goin' up...
:eusa_eh:
Warning over global cancer levels
7 September 2011 - Rise in number of cancer cases reported
The number of new cancer cases has increased by 20% in under a decade and now stands at 12 million a year, according to the World Cancer Research Fund. It warns that nearly a quarter of those cases are "preventable". The figures have been released ahead of a United Nations meeting on diseases including cancer. The WCRF said there was a "once in a generation" opportunity to reverse the trend. It calculated that 2.8m new cancers each year are linked to diet, exercise and obesity.

The figure is expected to rise "dramatically" over the next decade, the organisation warned. Professor Martin Wiseman, medical and scientific adviser for WCRF, told the BBC: "The truth is the number of cases around the world is going up partly because we are an ageing population, but also because of changes in lifestyle. "As countries become more urbanised, they become more prone to the Western diseases that we are used to seeing. Not just cancers - coronary heart disease, diabetes, obesity and lung diseases."

He said: "Many people are still unaware that risk factors such as alcohol and obesity affect cancer risk, while from television advertising to the pricing of food, our society works in a way that discourages people from adopting healthy habits." Later this month, the UN is holding a summit on non-infectious diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Professor Wiseman said the summit: "offers the chance to look at public health issues at the international level."

BBC News - Warning over global cancer levels
 
Good idea. At the speed of light it would only take 1,600 years to get to the nearest B.H. At conventional speed maybe a million years?
 
Cancer rates goin' up...
:eusa_eh:
Warning over global cancer levels
7 September 2011 - Rise in number of cancer cases reported
The number of new cancer cases has increased by 20% in under a decade and now stands at 12 million a year, according to the World Cancer Research Fund. It warns that nearly a quarter of those cases are "preventable". The figures have been released ahead of a United Nations meeting on diseases including cancer. The WCRF said there was a "once in a generation" opportunity to reverse the trend. It calculated that 2.8m new cancers each year are linked to diet, exercise and obesity.

The figure is expected to rise "dramatically" over the next decade, the organisation warned. Professor Martin Wiseman, medical and scientific adviser for WCRF, told the BBC: "The truth is the number of cases around the world is going up partly because we are an ageing population, but also because of changes in lifestyle. "As countries become more urbanised, they become more prone to the Western diseases that we are used to seeing. Not just cancers - coronary heart disease, diabetes, obesity and lung diseases."

He said: "Many people are still unaware that risk factors such as alcohol and obesity affect cancer risk, while from television advertising to the pricing of food, our society works in a way that discourages people from adopting healthy habits." Later this month, the UN is holding a summit on non-infectious diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Professor Wiseman said the summit: "offers the chance to look at public health issues at the international level."

BBC News - Warning over global cancer levels
I suggest you post this in the "Health and Lifestyle" area as its own thread.

Frankly I also question their findings, including how they arrived at them. I do know cancer rates in the US are dropping.
 
Astronomers studying stars and black holes have made a discovery that could lead to safer, more effective cancer treatments down the road.

A new kind of radiation therapy?

The researchers' computer simulations suggest that hitting a single gold or platinum atom with a small dose of X-rays at a narrow range of frequencies produces a flood of more than 20 low-energy electrons.

These ejected electrons can kill cancer kills, shredding their DNA, researchers said. So doctors could embed many heavy-metal nanoparticles inside and around tumors, then hit them with a tailored shot of radiation.

The resulting electron shower could obliterate a tumor. And the process would greatly reduce a patient's radiation exposure compared to most current radiation treatment methods, researchers said.

Could Black Holes Help Treat Cancer Patients?

All the righties that bitch about publicly funded science can now go fuck themselves.
 
And there it is! The wingnut political disgression. The left sucks! The right sucks! Bush! Obama! blah! Only took 7 posts to there too! wheeeee
 

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