Researchers at the University of Waterloo have developed a process to allow surgeons to have better visibility of tumors to successfully remove all of the malignant tissue.
“Revolutionizing” the removal of tumours: this is the ambition of a group of researchers from the University of Waterloo, in Ontario, Canada. Made up of students, a post-doctoral fellow, oncologists, a pathologist and a professor, the team developed a new medical imaging technique to precisely locate the edges of tumors during surgeries aimed at to remove them. Objective: to succeed in removing all of the malignant tissue from the first operation so as not to have to proceed to a second.
The system developed is based on the use of lasers and the way their light interacts with healthy and cancerous tissues, to distinguish them in real time. All without physical contact. “The non-contact method avoids additional complications such as an increased risk of infection, and avoids a costly pre- and postoperative sterilization process”, explain the researchers in the article published by the British magazine Scientific reports.
“The surgeon will be able to see exactly what to remove and how much”
“This is the future; this is a big step towards our ultimate goal of revolutionizing surgical oncology, assures Parsin Haji Reza, professor of systems design engineering, leading the project. , during the operation, the surgeon will be able to see exactly what to remove and in what quantity”.
For the time being, doctors only benefit from preoperative visibility, with MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and computed tomography. After the operation, tissue samples are studied in the laboratory, which determines two weeks later whether the tumor has been completely removed. Consequence: “in almost 10% of cases – the rates for different types of cancer involving tumors vary widely – cancerous tissue has been missed and a second operation is necessary to remove it”, can we read in the article published on the University of Waterloo website.
A system potentially operational by 2021
The process developed by the researchers has already been used to produce precise images of even relatively thick raw human tissue samples. Several steps now await the team: the imaging of new samples taken during surgeries, the integration of the technology developed within a surgical microscope, then the use of the system on patients during operations. Next comes the need to remove ethical hurdles and obtain all regulatory approvals.
Ultimately, the researchers hope to develop a fully operational system within two years. “This is going to have a huge impact on the economics of healthcare, it will be great for patients and will give clinicians a remarkable new tool,” said Haji Reza, director of PhotoMedicine Labs, at the University of Waterloo. It will save a lot of time, money and anxiety.”
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