iKnife, a brand-new surgical knife is capable of smelling tumors and effectively detecting womb cancer within seconds. Read to know all about the breakthrough.
What is the iKnife?
Researchers from the Imperial College London in the UK proved the iKnife, a modern surgical knife can “smell tumors”. The new device is capable of detecting womb cancer within a matter of seconds. Hence enabling women to get cancer diagnosis before it is too late. “The iKnife reliably diagnosed endometrial cancer in seconds, with a diagnostic accuracy of 89%, minimizing the current delays for women whilst awaiting a histopathological diagnosis,” stated the researchers. The study is published in Cancers.
The iKnife is currently in use for treating brain and breast cancers as per a Guardian article. It will also be used for accurately detecting endometrial cancers. The devices use the highly accurate and efficient “electrosurgery” method for the collection of samples. “Electrosurgical knives use an electrical current to rapidly heat tissue, cutting through it while minimizing blood loss. In doing so, they vapourize the tissue, creating smoke that is normally sucked away by extraction systems,” revealed a statement by the Imperial College.
iKnife: More on the revolutionary device
The iKnife analyzes smoke emitted from the biopsy sample after it is removed. In a recent study, it was used on 150 women suspected of having womb cancer. Researchers also compared the iKnife results with current methods which take a minimum of two weeks to reveal the results. “In cancer surgery, you want to take out as little healthy tissue as possible, but you have to ensure that you remove all of cancer. There is a real need for technology that can help the surgeon determine which tissue to cut out and which to leave in,” stated Lord Darzi. Darzi is the holder of the Paul Hamlyn Chair of Surgery at Imperial College.
The iKnife holds the potential to greatly impact cancer surgery. “Womb cancer has one ‘red flag’ symptom of postmenopausal bleeding that should always get checked out on a two-week referral from your GP. To wait a further two weeks for the results can be hard for patients,” stated Athena Lamnisos. Lamnisos is the CEO of Eve Appeal cancer charity, a UK-based charity funding the research. “The ability to provide a diagnostic test that also rules cancer in or out immediately, and with accuracy, could make such a positive difference,” she added.
