Russia has developed an optical biopsy to diagnose tumors in the liver

Oryol State University in Russia has developed a method for diagnosing liver tumors based on optical technology, using optical probes to enter the tissue, collect and analyze reflected light and fluorescent signals carrying diagnostic information, and draw conclusions about the state of the tissue. This kind of tumor detection method is more accurate and can improve the speed and efficiency of treatment in patients with liver cancer. The study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation, and the paper was published in the latest scientific report.Liver cancer mortality rate ranks 4th among cancer mortality rates, with higher mortality rates in late stages. If early treatment can be detected in time, the cure rate will be greatly increased. Puncture biopsy is the most effective method to diagnose liver cancer, and the current use of two types of thick probe each have shortcomings, thick needle damage is large, fine needle false negative high. Therefore, the application of optical technology is an important direction to improve the diagnostic rate.The optical biopsy method developed by the researchers to diagnose liver tumors uses an optical probe with a diameter of 1 mm and secures it to a conventional biopsy needle, which combines two existing optical techniques for detecting cancer. The first is fluorescence spectroscopy, which is based on differences in the luminescence of healthy and malignant tissues under laser radiation, and the other is diffuse spectroscopy, which provides information about the absorption and scattering of light in tissues. Analysis of reflected fluorescence leads to conclusions about the state of the tissue.The researchers tested the optical probe. The first phase tested mice with transplanted liver tumors and demonstrated the effectiveness of the method, while the second phase conducted clinical trials in 20 liver tumor patients at the Oriole State Hospital, and the results showed that the results obtained from optical probes were consistent with those obtained by other methods (instrument and morphological studies), which meant that the optical probe method was effective.The introduction of optical biopsy technology into standard testing procedures will significantly improve the reliability of assessing biooromic status and diagnosing pathological changes, allow optical methods to obtain information in real time, determine when treatment will begin, and dynamically evaluate the condition, said Adrian Momoshin, M.D., of the Biomedical Photon Technology Center at Oriol State University. (Science and Technology Daily)