Some physicists have developed a new technique to facilitate the diagnosis of skin cancer in the UK. 85% of cancers develop on the skin. On many occasions, however, its detection is difficult and, in addition, it is necessary to remove the surface tissue for its study. The new technique will avoid such situations.
The radiation of the terahertz allows to measure the water content of the surface. Because cancer-affected tissue contains more water than healthy tissues, melanomas can be detected using this technique.