Australianscientistssayanorganiccompound(复合物)usedbyIndianwomentopaintdotsorbindiontheirforeheadscouldholdthekeytoabreakthroughincancertreatment.RoseBengalwasfirstusedintheearly1900sasadyeforfoodtextilesandcosmetics.Butnowitisprovingtobeausefulweaponinthefightagainstskincancer.

Televisionadvertisementsconstantlywarnofthedangersofoverexposuretothefiercesun.Amongthemisthepossibilityofthediseasemelanoma(黑瘤)atypeofskincancer.Morethan1200Australiansdieeveryyearfromthedisease.

InitialtrialsofasolutionofRoseBengalinjectedintosomemelanomacellshavehada75percentsuccessrateincontrollingthedisease.ProfessorJohnThompsonthedirectoroftheMelanomaUnitattheUniversityofSydneysaysthisorganicdyecouldbecomeapowerfulcancer-fightingtreatment.

“Webelieveitworksbygettingintothetumor(肿块)cellsandcausingthemtoself-destruct.Buttheexactmechanismbywhichitworksisnottotallyclear.It’snotusefulforpeoplewhohaveaprimarymelanoma.Thetreatmentofprimarymelanomaissurgicalexcision(切除)”hesaid.“It’susefultoinjecttumorsforpeoplewhohaverecurrences;whentheprimarytreatmenthasfailedandwhenrecurrenceintheareaoratmoredistantsiteshasoccurred.”

About90percentofAustralianswhodevelopmelanomasurvivethankstoearlydiagnosisandtreatment.Ifleftuntreatedhoweverthediseasecanbefatal.

ConvincingyoungerpeopleinAustraliaaboutthedangersofoverexposuretothesunisabattlecampaignersareconstantlywaging.

VeronicaManocka21-year-oldstudenthadtwomajoroperationstoremoveacanceroustumorfromherleg.

“I’vehadalotoffriendswhojustsaid‘IthoughtitwasjustyouknowI’llgetamole(痣)cutoutandthat’sit’whereasIdon’tthinkpeoplerealizehowmuchdangerthey’reputtingthemselvesintoandhoweasyitistostopsomethinglikethishappeningtoyoujustfromdoinglittlethings”saidMarock.

OtherresearchersinAustraliaareinvestigatinggenetictreatmentstoskincancer.Thereisapressingneedforsuchresearchtoproduceeffectivetreatments.Australiansthemajorityofwhomarefair-skinned(浅肤色的)arefourtimesmorelikelytodevelopamelanomathanpeo