Researchers develop innovative technique for distinguishing tumor from normal tissue
Source: www.eurekalert.org Author: Mass General Brigham Researchers develop innovative technique for distinguishing tumor from normal tissue The visual and quantitative techniques used – including high-speed cameras to detect changes occurring in a billionth of a second - had an accuracy of 97% across tumor types (liver, brain, tongue, skin, breast, bone and soft tissue) The images show clusters of colorectal cells metastasized to the liver, resected from a patient at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) The cells are visible as red, which means longer lifetime, against a background of normal liver tissue in blue/green Mass General Brigham investigators tested their approach using specimens from multiple cancer types, including liver, brain, tongue, skin, breast, bone and soft tissue Their visual and quantitative technique, which combines an injected FDA-approved drug with high-speed cameras to detect changes occurring in a billionth of a second, had an accuracy of 97% across tumor types Removing a patient’s tumor while sparing healthy tissue requires exquisite precision, but often surgeons must rely on their eyes and hands to determine where to cut. A team led by researchers from Mass General Brigham has developed a visualization tool that combines high-speed cameras and fluorescent injection to distinguish tumor tissue from normal tissue across cancer types. The team evaluated the new imaging technology, known as fluorescence lifetime (FLT) imaging, using specimens from more than 60 patients that underwent surgery of various cancers. In a paper published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, the team reported that the technique was over 97 [...]