‘Intelligent Knife’ Can Detect Uterine Cancer in Seconds, Minimizing Diagnosis Delays

A “tumor-smelling” surgical knife can detect endometrial cancer in seconds. report guardian. The instrument in question is an ‘intelligent knife’ or iKnife, which has already proven its ability to distinguish different types of tissue, including tissue taken from the lung, colon and liver, and is being used to treat breast cancer and brain cancer. It has been. Now, researchers say the iKnife’s newly discovered ability to detect the presence of uterine cancer in women could significantly minimize delays in diagnosis and treatment.

The device works on the basis of electrosurgery, using electrical current to heat tissue and vaporize it in the process of cutting it. It emits smoke containing biological information that helps diagnose tissue conditions. The electrocautery was connected to a mass spectrometer, a device that analyzes the types and concentrations of chemicals in tissue samples. Thus iKnife was born.

Researchers at Imperial College London conducted a prospective pilot study to test the iKnife’s diagnostic accuracy. in their paper, It was published in the journal cancer“The iKnife reliably diagnoses endometrial cancer in seconds with a diagnostic accuracy of 89%, minimizing women’s current delays while waiting for a histopathological diagnosis. Findings demonstrated in this study” can pave the way for new diagnostic pathways.”

The iKnife was created to help surgeons identify whether the tissue they are cutting is cancerous.of first research When the device was tested in the operating room in 2013, the iKnife diagnosed tissue samples from 91 patients, all in real time, with 100% accuracy. Such information is usually revealed after a clinical examination, which can take 30 minutes or more.

Seeing the results, Dr. Zoltan Takats of Imperial College London, who invented the iKnife, said at the time: Surgeons can perform surgery with a level of precision never before possible. He believes it may reduce tumor recurrence rates and allow more patients to survive. “

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While the device has been used in the past to distinguish between healthy and malignant samples of colon, breast, cervical, and ovarian tissue, a recent study focused on uterine tissue from 150 women. This is the first study using the iKnife to detect cancer in endometrial biopsy samples. The results were then compared with those obtained from current diagnostic methods. The iKnife’s high level of accuracy suggests that the device could be used in clinics to provide point-of-care diagnostics, the researchers said. The research team is now planning to begin large-scale clinical trials, which could eventually lead to its widespread use, according to The Guardian.

Endometrial cancer, which affects the lining of the uterus, is the most common cancer in women. It is the most common gynecologic cancer, especially in the West. Still, The Guardian reports that it’s only detected in 10% of people with symptoms. Postmenopausal bleeding is one of the symptoms of uterine cancer. But abnormal vaginal bleeding after menopause can also occur for several other reasons, explained Athena Ramnisos of the Eve Appeal cancer charity, which funded the study.[T]The ability to provide a diagnostic test that instantly and accurately determines whether cancer is in or out of cancer could make such a positive difference,” Ramnisos told The Guardian.

It can take up to two weeks before a diagnosis is made. Meanwhile, the anxiety of having to wait for results to confirm whether you have cancer can be a great source of distress. Endometrial cancer is treatable and hysterectomy or removal of the uterus is the main treatment. however, side effects Such as clotting and infections that occur after surgery. Therefore, delays in diagnosing and treating endometrial cancer may have a negative impact on patient survival, the researchers noted, and currently there are no methods to provide point-of-care diagnosis for uterine cancer. I added no.

On the other hand, being able to receive a diagnosis in seconds not only reduces stress for healthy women, but also allows doctors to treat women diagnosed with uterine cancer faster.

Professor Sadaf Ghaem-Maghami, who led the research team, told The Guardian: of endometrial cancer. ”