Endoscope with oxygen sensor detects pancreatic cancer

According to American researchers, the optical sensor of oxygen in the blood attached to the endoscope is able to identify pancreatic cancer in patients via a simple endoscopic procedure.

Scientists from the Mayo clinic in Florida showed that a device for measuring oxygen in the blood of patients has a sensitivity of 92%, i.e. out of 100 patients with pancreatic cancer, this sensor detects the disease in 92 of them. The device measures changes in blood flow in tissues that are in close proximity to the pancreas, under the theory that tumors change the flow of blood flow in surrounding tissues because the tumors need oxygen to grow. The endoscope is fed into the stomach and the duodenum, where measurements are performed. The pancreas lies in close proximity to the duodenum.





Gastroenterologist Michael Wallace is confident in the use of the open method of diagnosis. "Although this small pilot study, the result is very promising. Now there is no available tests that can accurately identify pancreatic cancer at an early stage". Currently, more than 90 percent of pancreatic cancer are detected at the metastatic stage, which explains the high mortality rate of patients.

Wallace said, " it is Unusual that we tried to perceive changes that are not in the tumor itself, but in nearby, normal-looking, tissues. It is based on the principle, currently receiving widespread recognition, cancer field effect. Instead of looking for the needle in the haystack, we now look at the haystack to see how it changes when the needle is inside."

Source: nauka24news.ru/