According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), cancer is the second leading cause of death globally and several medical devices are emerging in the field of oncology with promising results in detecting and treating the disease. While many cancers can be kept away with a healthy lifestyle, only one in two people will develop the disease in their lifetime. 

While cancer researchers focus on drugs that interact with the disease, medical devices are looking for ways to detect and treat patients. From tiny nanoparticles that deliver chemotherapy to imaging technology to identify early-stage cancers, this article shows four medical devices that can revolutionise oncology in the future. 

Four medical devices that could be used in oncology in the future

1. Computer-Aided Cancer Diagnostics

Automating cancer diagnosis will improve the availability of testing and cause more tumours to be discovered early when treatment options can become less effective. In November, the FDA granted breakthrough device status to 4D Path’s precision oncology platform that can be used to diagnose breast cancer. 

This innovative system uses AI to detect biomarkers for breast cancer and uses cell-to-cell communication and heat signatures to reduce mistaken diagnoses made by human histopathologists. Rather than send hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), it will be possible to diagnose without running other tests. As such, 4D Path can be scaled and rolled across hospitals more easily than traditional forms of diagnosis. 

2. Biopsy tools that yield higher-quality samples

The quality of biopsy samples obtained before staining and H&E testing are sometimes of poor quality. Another barrier to diagnosis is the improved biopsy tools. For example, Precision by Israeli firm Limaca Medical, is currently validating its endoscopic biopsy device on human patients who have pancreatic cancer. 

Traditionally, the method for performing biopsy involved inserting a flexible tube called an endoscope down the G1 tract, where samples are obtained by stabbing tumours repeatedly with tiny needles from the device. However, this process provides poor tissue samples that affect the diagnostic testing and requires a second procedure to get correct results. 

Limaca’s endoscopic biopsy device uses rotational cutting to get higher-quality samples instead of using needles that contaminate samples with blood. In practical terms, less time is used to collect samples, which means less time between diagnosis and results. 

3. Tiny particles engineered to destroy cancer cells

Chemotherapy and tumour removal remain the most common cancer treatments, but researchers are currently investigating the use of tiny medical devices at the micro and nanoscale to make treatment delivery more precise. In December 2020, a team from the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom published a study demonstrating that drugs used in cancer treatment can be loaded onto microbubbles and transported to cancerous cells via the blood, using monoclonal antibodies designed to target specific locations of the tumour and deliver the payload.

Another study from University College London, published results earlier this month that indicated magnetic nanoparticles could achieve a similar goal in addition to causing a heating effect that can kill cancer cells when activated with a magnetic field outside of the body. This is an early-stage study, but it demonstrates what may be possible in the future to make chemotherapy treatment, which is known to cause a variety of unpleasant side effects, a more precise and less traumatic experience for patients. 

One of the most innovative companies leveraging this form of treatment is Oncosil Medical Limited (ASX: OSL) an Australian-based biotech company revolutionising pancreatic cancer treatment by delivering treatment via its device. The procedure consists of injecting tiny radioactive particles in a gel-like substance directly into the pancreatic cancer tumour. The radiation only goes to the cancer cells and doesn’t affect the surrounding tissue. There are new forms of treating cancer that are less invasive and require less effort by healthcare professionals. These treatments seek to treat cancer directly, protect surrounding tissue and accelerate recovery times.