New brain scan tech could improve tumour removal

Known as shear wave elastography, the technology is a type of ultrasound that measures the stiffness and elasticity of tissue. Vibrations – the ‘shear waves’ – are passed through the subject, detecting the relative stiffness of different brain matter. On average, brain tumours tend to be stiffer than normal brain tissue, and the scan works by mapping suspicious areas of particular stiffness.

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Unlike MRI scans -  the gold-standard for cancer detection – sheer wave scans can be carried out in theatre, with the information passed immediately to the surgeon to enable the removal of residual cancerous tissue without additional surgeries. In a study published in Frontiers in Oncology, it was found the technique outperformed surgeons at detecting leftover cancerous tissue by sight alone, and could prove to be a vital technology in improving outcomes for brain tumour patients.