AI-powered pen identifies cancer in seconds
Brazil has launched clinical trials of an innovative surgical device capable of detecting cancer cells in real time, Kazinform News Agency reports citing Medscape.
Second country in the world to evaluate the technology
The MasSpec Pen system is currently being tested at Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein in São Paulo. Brazil has become the second country in the world to begin clinical evaluation of the technology, developed by a scientific team that includes Brazilian researcher Livia Eberlin, PhD, professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, in partnership with Thermo Fisher Scientific.
According to data from trials conducted in the United States, the device demonstrates accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity above 96% in identifying breast, lung, thyroid, and ovarian tumors.
How the device works
When the pen comes into contact with the tissue, it releases a drop of water that absorbs cells from the site. Their molecular structure is analyzed using mass spectrometry and compared with a database powered by artificial intelligence to determine the presence of cancer cells.
The entire diagnostic process takes about 90 seconds, which is significantly faster than conventional pathology tests that typically require several minutes.
Potential to reduce repeat surgeries
Researchers note that controlling tumor margins during surgery can reduce the likelihood of additional procedures and decrease surgical risks. Reducing time in the operating room also shortens the duration of anesthesia and minimizes patient discomfort.
Clinical study in Brazil
The trial will continue for two years and will include 60 patients — 30 with lung cancer and 30 with thyroid cancer. Participants were selected based on three criteria: surgical accessibility, complexity of intraoperative diagnostics, and maturity of the algorithm.
Preliminary results have been described as “very promising,” and the research team is considering expanding the study to additional tumor types.
Earlier, it was reported that researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre have discovered that inflammation may play a key role in driving the earliest stages of lung cancer.