A team of cancer researchers from the University of Cambridge has created a new advanced computing technique that enables doctors to take fewer, more accurate tumor biopsies.
According to the German news agency (dpa), the new study published in the journal European Radiology, said the new technique combining computed tomography (CT) scans with ultrasound images creates a visual guide for doctors to ensure they sample the full complexity of a tumor with fewer targeted biopsies.
Capturing the patchwork of different types of cancer cell within a tumor is critical for selecting the best treatment because genetically-different cells may respond differently to treatment, the researchers explained.
The Science Daily website cited Researcher Lucian Beer, from the CRUK Cambridge Centre Ovarian Cancer Program, as saying: "By taking targeted biopsies using this method, we can capture a diversity of cancer cells within the tumor."
"This study provides an important milestone towards precision tissue sampling. The new technique will be used on a larger scale in the clinical research," the team added.
