Breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer and cause of cancer death for women in the United States, affecting one in eight women overall.
Most women with breast cancer undergo lumpectomy surgery to remove the tumor and a rim of healthy tissue surrounding the tumor. After the procedure, the removed tissue is sent to a pathologist to look for signs of disease at the edge of the tissue assessed. Unfortunately, about 20 percent of women who have lumpectomies must undergo a second surgery to remove more tissue.
Now, an MIT spinout is giving surgeons a real-time view of cancerous tissue during surgery. Lumicell has developed a handheld device and an optical imaging agent that, when combined, allow surgeons to scan the tissue within the surgical cavity to visualize residual cancer cells. The surgeons see these images on a monitor that can guide them to remove additional tissue during the procedure.
By providing a real-time view of breast cancer during surgery, MIT spinout Lumicell may enable more complete tumor removal. “The technology we developed allows the surgeon to scan the actual cavity,” W. David Lee says. https://t.co/LAZi3iuTa8 pic.twitter.com/vfnlaammXN
— Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (@MIT) November 6, 2024