A handheld device that looks like a pen can identify a cancer tissue within 10 seconds and it could be a safer, quicker and precise way of removing a tumour through surgery, according to scientists at the University of Texas.
Science Translation Medicine published tests which suggest this technology is accurate 96% of the time. The unique metabolism of cancer cells is used as added advantage by the MasSpec pen.
The pen releases a tiny droplet of water after it is touched onto a suspected cancer cell. Chemicals inside the living cells are sucked back into the pen after moving into the droplet.
Once the pen is plugged into it, a mass spectrometer is used to measure the mass of thousands of chemicals every second. A chemical fingerprint is produced which tells doctors whether it's a healthy tissue or cancer. The challenge faced by surgeons is to determine the border between the normal tissue and the cancer but the boundary between a diseased and healthy tissue can be blurred in some tumours.
However, the pen can help doctors ensure that the cancer is not left behind.
There is a complication while removing the tissues because if too little is removed then the cancerous cells can grow into another tumour and if too much is taken then there is a chance of damaging the brain.
"What's exciting about this technology is how clearly it meets a clinical need. The tool is elegant and simple and can be in the hands of surgeons in a short time," said Livia Eberlin, an assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Texas, Austin while talking to BBC.
As part of the study, this technology has been tested on 253 samples. The plan is to continue testing in order to refine the device before starting to use it during operations next year.