Intra-operative terahertz probe for detection of breast cancer

A handheld THz probe has been developed by TeraView with the goal to assess tumor resection margins intra-operatively in breast-conserving surgery (BCS) specimens and metastatic status of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs), with a view to reduce re-operation rates. The utility of this probe for this purpose has already been shown in an ex vivo setting. Further work carried out by Teraview Ltd together with the breast surgical team at King´s College London (KCL)/Guy´s and St Thomas´s NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT) is confirming promise of this technique, with focus on the in vivo application of the handheld THz probe for real-time assessment of tumor resection margins in BCS. In particualr, the probe is designed to acquire THz images during breast cancer surgery to distinguish between normal and malignant breast tissue, thus assisting complete surgical excision of cancers. Findings of this study leading to in-vivo testing are discussed in this paper.