A new handheld device – called MassSpec – enables the user to distinguish between healthy tissues and malignant tumours quickly and reliably.

The device uses mass spectrometry similar in some ways to the technique used in the laboratory, without having to use any reagents or cause damage to the tissue. The device simply extracts tiny samples of tissue in order to characterize the proteins, lipids and metabolites thereof. The device is placed on the sample and activated using a foot control and within 10 seconds the tissue identification process is completed.

Dr. Francisco Martínez Peñalver – Medical Director, Neolife Marbella

Despite the relatively short time-frame the MassSpec device provides an accuracy of 96.3% (on average) when identifying malignant tissues depending on their location.

Normally the Pathological Anatomy departments of any given hospital take days and even weeks in some cases to provide such a diagnosis which in turn delays the start of the treatment(s). The process of identifying a sample is long and tedious as it is necessary to carry out a series of preparations prior to examination under the microscope by a specialist doctor. On the other hand, it is equally possible that the samples that are sent to be analysed include only healthy tissue and do not contain part of the tumorous tissue that cause disease.

Recently, researchers at the University of Texas have published their results on the use of a handheld device called MasSpec Pen which allows the user during the course of an operation to distinguish between healthy tissues and malignant tumours quickly and reliably. Despite the relatively short time-frame the MasSpec Pen provides an accuracy of 96.3% (on average) when identifying malignant tissues depending on their location.

How to detect cancer in 10 secondsalt At present research is being undertaken at the Texas Medical Center on the different subtypes of lung cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer and papillary and follicular thyroid cancer in mice and the results have accelerated efforts to commence clinical trials in patients already diagnosed with cancer at the beginning of 2018. The device uses mass spectrometry similar in some ways to the technique used in the laboratory, without having to use any reagents or cause damage to the tissue. The device simply extracts tiny samples of tissue in order to characterize the proteins, lipids and metabolites thereof. The device is placed on the sample and activated using a foot control and within 10 seconds the tissue identification process is completed. The cost of this technique is relatively high, but it is less than the other diagnostic tests that these patients may also undergo (MRI, CT, PET etc.). Despite the apparent cost-saving, it is estimated that the device will not be commercially available for a number of years once the human studies have concluded. There have been numerous advances in recent years in the search for effective and reliable diagnostic methods in oncological patients, in terms of increased accuracy and reliability of the results. Perhaps the most developed technique, already in clinical use in some centres, is the so-called “liquid biopsy“. This technique consists of detecting circulating tumour cells and circulating tumour DNA in a blood sample which is promising biomarkers in the area of ​​Oncology but this requires greater knowledge and experience.

What remains undeniably a focus for cancer patients is prevention -most of the risk factors for cancer are well known- and the early diagnosis -through regular check-ups is intended to uncover evidence of early stages of the disease, such as those we perform in the Neolife clinic-.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

(1) Nondestructive tissue analysis for ex vivo and in vivo cancer diagnosis using a handheld mass spectrometry system. Zhang J1, Rector J1,2, Lin JQ1, Young JH1 Sci Transl Med. 2017 Sep 6;9(406). (2) Liquid biopsy: will it be the ‘magic tool’ for monitoring response of solid tumors to anticancer therapies? Gingras I1, Salgado R, Ignatiadis M. Curr Opin Oncol. 2015 Nov;27(6):560-7 (3) Intraoperative frozen section analysis for the diagnosis of early stage ovarian cancer in suspicious pelvic masses. Ratnavelu ND1, Brown AP, Mallett S, Scholten RJ, Patel A, Founta C, Galaal K, Cross P, Naik R. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016 Mar 1;3:CD010360