How is light being used to treat cancer and other diseases? essay sample

 

The power of light does not only relieves winter blues and saturates our body with vitamin D. Laser radiation is the most effective way of curing cancer we have developed so far. Unlike the ordinary light that has waves of different length, laser focuses light of a specific length in a narrow but powerful beam. Depending on the wavelength, a laser can cut steel or shape diamonds. In medicine, laser acts instead of a scalpel. It helps to treat the affected area precisely without damaging much of the body. Laser therapy is especially effective in the early stages of cancer when the affected areas are smaller.

The advantages of laser therapy lie in its high precision. Decades ago, it was impossible to remove internal tumors without causing much damage to the body. Now laser manipulation takes less time than an ordinary surgery, and it takes less time for the patient to recover. The possibility of infecting the surrounding tissues conducting laser therapy is also tiny. On the other hand, laser therapy may help only for a short while. Tissues can regrow tumors once again, and laser therapy sessions can be repeated several times.

 

At the moment, several types of laser therapy are available to patients with cancer. There are carbon dioxide lasers, argon lasers, and neodymium:yttrium-aluminium-garnet lasers. They are used with endoscopes that show surgeons precisely the area that shall be treated. CO2 and argon lasers cut the surface of the skin without damaging deeper layers. Nd:YAG laser acts deeper and is often used to cut tumors on internal organs. But only a qualified surgeon must determine which of these lasers shall be applied to every particular patient.