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Silicon to Be Tested in Liver Cancer Trials

Posted on: Tuesday, 4 May 2004, 06:00 CDT

SINGAPORE (AP) -- Cancer-fighting silicon particles will be injected into the diseased livers of inoperable patients this month in Singapore as part of new cancer treatment research, a hospital spokeswoman said Tuesday.

A small batch of radioactive silicon particles, measuring about 20 microns each, will be injected into liver tumors via the patient's abdomen as part of the three-month trial at Singapore General Hospital, spokeswoman Angela Ng said.

Each injection is designed to kill cells within an 8 millimeter (0.31 inch) radius, Ng said. By injecting the particles into the heart of the cancerous cell mass, researchers hope more of the healthy liver can be preserved, and exposure to radiation minimized, she said.

Dr. Pierce Chow, a consultant surgeon with the Singapore General Hospital, described the treatment as "not a new drug but just a new way of introducing drugs to system."

The hospital has yet to recruit the eight to 10 patients needed for the clinical trials, Ng said. Patients will remain conscious throughout the operation.

The research is a joint effort between Singapore General Hospital and U.K.-based pSiMedica Ltd., Ng said. Similar trials are also planned for the United Kingdom, she said.

Liver cancer is the third-leading killer among cancers in men in East and Southeast Asia, according to the World Health Organization's Web site. It is the fifth most common form of cancer worldwide with some 560,000 cases, the WHO said.

Singapore General Hospital is the island nation's largest public hospital, and is managed by SingHealth, a government-linked company.

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