Robot surgeons may be your best bet for curing cancer. They’re the next big thing on the cancer horizon, and so far they’re doing a much better job at finding and removing tumor tissue when doctors opt for minimally invasive surgery.
Here’s why:
Tiny incisions make for less traumatic cancer surgery. MRIs and other imaging can provide a pretty reliable picture of what’s going on inside, and long, slim instruments combined with hand-held sensors can do a good job of finding and removing most of a tumor.
But there’s a problem.
Tumor tissues can shift around — meaning imaging may not be completely accurate. In the past, surgeons literally felt around for stiffer tumor tissues when they operated. But today’s surgeons have a tougher time feeling for tumor tissues when they can’t get inside to actually feel around.
Enter the “touchy-feely” surgical robots. So far, they’ve only practiced on calves’ liver, but the outcomes are looking good.
According to a Science Daily article, robotic surgeons using tactile sensing instruments “reduces the maximum force applied to the tissue by over 35 percent compared to a human controlling the same instrument. Accuracy in detecting the tumors was also far greater with the robot — between 59 and 90 percent …” Those are good odds.
The article goes on to explain that the reason for this improved performance is consistency. Robots apply consistent pressure each and every time they touch tissue — and they’re able to move over the tissue systematically. That means that the entire area is accurately mapped with a tactile sensor. There’s less tissue damage, and a clearer picture of the tumor’s outline.
Are you ready for a robot surgeon? The probability is good that you’ll be meeting one sometime in the next couple of decades!
Photo courtesy of Nimur, via Wikimedia Commons
