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"Discovery Files" Features from the National Science Foundation
"Tumor Tracker"
Fully produced report in MP3 format:
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(75 seconds)
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READER SCRIPT
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IMPROVING CANCER TREATMENT, FROM THE INSIDE OUT. THE "DISCOVERY FILES": NEW ADVANCES IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, FROM THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION. GETTING THE INTENDED DOSE OF RADIATION TO THE EXACT LOCATION OF A TUMOR IS A CHALLENGE FOR DOCTORS TREATING CANCER PATIENTS. IT HASN'T BEEN AN EXACT SCIENCE--UNTIL NOW. RESEARCHERS AT PURDUE ARE DEVELOPING A CAPSULE THE SIZE OF A GRAIN OF RICE, THAT THEY HOPE TO INJECT DIRECTLY INTO A TUMOR. IT'S BASICALLY A TRACKING DEVICE TO HELP DOCTORS PINPOINT THE TUMOR, GUIDE RADIATION TO IT, AND MEASURE THE CUMULATIVE AMOUNT OF RADIATION IT RECEIVES. EVEN IF THE TUMOR SHIFTS POSITION WHEN A PATIENT MOVES, IT WILL STILL BE DIRECTLY TRACKED. RESEARCHERS NEED TO KNOW WHERE THE TUMOR IS. AND, IF THEY CAN FIND A WAY TO TRACK THE TUMOR, IN REAL TIME, THAT'S A GREAT BENEFIT. THIS DEVICE EVENTUALLY WILL COMBINE BOTH CAPABILITIES. ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO KILL A TUMOR IS TO GO WHERE IT LIVES. THE "DISCOVERY FILES" COVERS PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE GOVERNMENT'S NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH BROUGHT TO YOU BY YOU! LEARN MORE AT "N-S-F"-DOT-GOV.
For additional "Discovery Files" features from the National Science Foundation, click here.
