Ultrasound Use Investigated to Treat Cancer

According to a Canadian researcher, studying the complex relationship between cells and sound could translate into big advances in cancer treatment, including more effective treatment monitoring, less invasive procedures, and healthcare savings.

Dr. Michael Kolios, an associate professor in Ryerson University's (Toronto, Canada) department of physics is examining how dying cancer cells scatter sound in ultrasound procedures. "It's like a rock falling into a pond,” explained Dr. Kolios. "Bigger rocks create bigger splashes and scatter ripples. In contrast, when cancer cells die and break into smaller pieces, that is when their ‘splash' scatters sound.” In particular, Dr. Kolios is analyzing the frequency emitted by cancer cells. The smaller the cells, the higher the frequency. Ultrasound operates in the same general way as radar sounds waves are sent out and when they hit something, they bounce back. In this instance, instead of detecting airplanes or ships, ultrasound is used to pinpoint and evaluate disease in the human body.

With the use of high-frequency ultrasound, physicians could determine a tumor's response to therapy early on in treatment. As a result, better-informed decisions could be made as to whether to continue with the prescribed treatment plan or develop a different one. That is the principle behind Dr. Kolios' newest research project. The research is part of Dr. Kolios' larger studies on ultrasound as a noninvasive way to investigate cell death, a collaboration with Dr. Gregory Czarnota, an adjunct physics professor at Ryerson and a researcher at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Toronto, Canada), and assistant Ryerson physics professor Dr. Carl Kumaradas.

Dr. Kolios' work could have significant impact on the way cancer treatments are monitored. Currently, patients must undergo a full course of radiation or chemotherapy before doctors assess whether or not the treatment has achieved its intended effect. Depending on the type of therapy, the cost of care can start at US$60,000.
High-frequency ultrasound could also help patients improve their quality of life by avoiding the unpleasant side effects of traditional treatment, while potentially save the healthcare system tens of thousands of dollars per treatment. That money, in turn, could be put toward the cost of another, more effective therapy. Research on the use and outcomes of high-frequency ultrasound is timely. "As the population ages, more people are getting cancer,” noted Dr. Kolios.

While Dr. Kolios is studying high-ultrasound frequencies (10-60 MHz), his research assistant Eric Strohm, a master's student in biomedical physics, is exploring ultra-high frequencies of more than 100 MHz. Frequencies in this range make up the field of acoustic microscopy and facilitate high-resolution viewing of single cells.

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