Now, moving on to a new breakthrough here on the island,

Local scientists have jointly developed a new technology, a new form of contrast agent, which will help doctors detect cancerous cells in a more efficient manner.

The medical finding is expected to speed up the procedure of determining the most suitable treatment for patients.

Through nuclear magnetic resonance and CT scans, medical professionals are able to get a clear look at the tumors. However, patients have to be injected with different types of contrast agents for the two separate procedures. In addition, those undergoing NMR scans have to wait one to two days for it to be metabolized before they can receive another type of scan, with a single injection costing up to 6,300 NT.

The process is not only expensive, but it often results in numerous side effects.

Recently, researchers from the National Taiwan Normal University and National Cheng Kung University's College of Medicine came up with a new advancement, which is looking to be especially helpful in cancer diagnosis.

Featured in an international journal as the cover story, the imaging contrast agent can conduct the two types of scans simultaneously.

Using iron-platinum alloy nanoparticles, it is the first of its kind in the world, to combine a type of monoclonal antibody to its particles. It provides experts a more precise vision to distinguish the cancerous cells, while allowing doctors to select the best treatment method for each individual.

More than one million people undergo medical imaging in Taiwan in a year, and the annual global market is around US$ 5 billion. If the human clinical trial phase goes smoothly, the new technology will be hitting the market as early as 5 years.

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