A new technique for diagnosing skin cancer without sampling has just been developed. It could reduce the number of painful biopsies by 50%.
Skin cancer cannot be diagnosed with the naked eye. Top dermatologists have long agreed. And it is often necessary for them to use the scalpel to remove suspicious tissue and have it analyzed.
Using short wave rays, the same as those from our mobile phones or used in airport security gates, researchers at the Stevens Institute have developed a portable device capable not only of detecting skin lesions but above all determine if they are cancerous or benign.
Reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies by 50%
This work published in September 2019 IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging would, according to Negar Tavassolian, director of the bio-electrmagnetism laboratory, reduce by 50% the number of unnecessary biopsies in the diagnosis of skin cancer in the United States, which concerns 9,500 people every day!
The technology developed uses millimeter wave radiation which penetrates certain materials and bounces off others. Just like the metal detected by security gates, cancerous tumors reflect more calibrated energy than healthy skin, as many “hot spots” detected by the device.
A reliable marker to identify cancerous tissue
In tests performed on biopsies collected by surgeons, cancer cells reflected approximately 40% more energy than healthy tissue, validating the fact that millimeter waves are a reliable marker for identifying cancerous tissue.
“We could equip pharmacies so people can be screened and see a doctor for follow-up if needed, people won’t have to wait weeks for biopsy results, which will save lives,” Negar Tavassolian points out. .
This technology could also generate three-dimensional, real-time images of tumors, which could guide surgeons in their operations. In terms of costs, the device developed would not, according to its inventors, be more expensive than the laser imaging tools usually used by dermatologists.
