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Biopsy is the most common and painful way to diagnose cancer. A piece of tissue or a sample of cells from a patient's body is removed to be tested in the laboratory. But this pain may soon be a thing of the past.
Scientists at the University of Michigan have developed a new portable device that can directly capture living cancer cells in the blood, saving millions of cancer patients from unnecessary pain.
A patient giving a blood sample for a medical test. / VCG Photo
A patient giving a blood sample for a medical test. / VCG Photo
"No one wants to do a biopsy – if we could get enough cancer cells in the blood, we could use them to learn more about tumor biology and direct patient care, which is why we are excited about "said Dr. Daniel F. Hayes, professor of bad cancer research at the University of Michigan.
According to the research team, it is essential to measure cancer cells in the blood, as these moving cells are more likely to cause new, more deadly tumors. And because it's difficult for many cancer cells to survive in the blood, it's even harder to detect.
Therefore, the gadget could help doctors detect cancer in the blood and prevent biopsies.
The new device, tested on animals, can capture 3.5 times more cancerous circulating cells than traditional blood tests and biopsies, thus improving the accuracy and effectiveness of treatment.
The device of the size of a watch, which measures 2 × 2.5 × 1 inches, is connected to a vein of an arm to capture cancer cells. By applying an anticoagulant drug, the device can operate in a completely sterile environment while avoiding cell clogging.
Hayes believes the device could begin testing on humans three to five years from now. It would be used to help optimize cancer treatments in humans by allowing doctors to see if cancer cells make the molecules that serve as targets for many new anti-cancer drugs.
"It's the quintessence of precision medicine, which is so exciting in the field of oncology at the moment," he said.
Portable health devices currently available on the market can only track vital signs such as blood pressure, heart rate and blood glucose, but the advent of this new device could be a breakthrough in the field of cancer treatment .
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