Endo-microscope could improve breast cancer treatment

The endo-microscope, a microscope designed to be inserted into the body to provide views of tissues and organs, can be steered through extremely small, tight spaces in the body during surgery, producing images with ‘unprecedented’ speed, researchers claim.

When exploring spaces such as breast ducts, the instrument can pinpoint features smaller than a single cell.

It aims to aid high-precision breast-conserving surgery by enabling surgeons to quickly and accurately identify suspicious tissue around tumours as well as cancerous cells just a hundredth of a millimetre across.

Breast conserving surgery is preferred over mastectomy because it involves localised tumour removal, less patient trauma, good cosmetic outcomes and shorter hospital stays.

However, up to 20 per cent of breast cancer patients treated through breast-conserving surgery need follow-up operations to remove cancerous cells that previously evaded detection.

The endo-microscope – also designed for use in the lungs, urinary tract, digestive system and brain – could address this issue, reducing the need for follow-up surgery and easing pressure on NHS resources.