Very soon, doctors will be able to rapidly monitor tumor-growths and chemotherapy progresses in cancer patients with the help of an implant being developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The nano-particle-containing implant is capable of being designed for testing different substances that include metabolites — like glucose and oxygen — associated with tumor growth.

Though such nano-particles have been used before, this implant has for the first time encased the nano-particles in a silicone delivery device, which allow them to remain inside a patient’s body for an extended time period.

The implant is also capable of tracking the effects of cancer drugs! Implanted within a patient, it can read how much of a certain cancer drug has reached the tumor! Thus, is would make a doctor easy to determine whether a treatment is working in a particular patient.