Cancer Breakthrough: The Knife That Can Smell Tumours

In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers at Imperial College London have found that the iKnife, a surgical device currently used to treat breast and brain cancers, can accurately diagnose womb cancer within seconds. Womb cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women and affects about 9,000 a year in the UK.Currently, only about 10% of women with suspected symptoms who undergo a biopsy are found to have womb cancer. Using electrical currents to analyze smoke emitted from vaporized biopsy tissue, the iKnife achieved a diagnostic accuracy of 89% in detecting the presence of womb cancer. The device could potentially provide faster diagnoses for the 9,000 women affected by the disease in the UK each year, and bring relief to the 90% of women with postmenopausal bleeding who do not have cancer. A major clinical trial is planned for the iKnife, which could lead to widespread usage of the device. The research was funded by the Eve Appeal cancer charity.