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Operating room technology


Brain tumour classification is notoriously tricky. While there are more than 80 different subtypes of brain tumour, each with its own best course of treatment, the diagnosis doesn’t usually become available until a week after surgery. However, surgeons may now be able to alter their strategy in real-time, thanks to a new deep-learning algorithm that classifies tumours in hours, not days. Abi Millar talks to the researchers to find out more.


or patients with brain tumours, the right kind of surgical procedure can make all the difference. In cases where the prognosis is


poor, surgeons would want to focus on maximising quality of life. They would not risk excising more tissue than necessary, leaving the patient with potentially debilitating side effects. In other types of cases, the goal would be to maximise the chances of recovery, even if that means a more intensive procedure.


Unfortunately, it isn’t usually possible for surgeons to make that call with any certainty. Because they don’t typically perform a biopsy beforehand (that would delay the process by weeks), pathologists can only analyse the tissue once surgery is already under way. And because of the complexities inherent in this process – there are around 80 different brain tumour subtypes, each with a different molecular profile – it takes a week or more to reach a diagnosis.


The mind’s AI F


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Practical Patient Care / www.practical-patient-care.com


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