Optical Emission Spectroscopy for the Real-Time Identification of Malignant Breast Tissue.

Breast conserving resection with free margins is the gold standard treatment for early breast cancer recommended by guidelines worldwide. Therefore, reliable discrimination between normal and malignant tissue at the resection margins is essential. In this study, normal and abnormal tissue samples from breast cancer patients were characterized ex vivo by optical emission spectroscopy (OES) based on ionized atoms and molecules generated during electrosurgical treatment. The aim of the study was to determine spectroscopic features which are typical for healthy and neoplastic breast tissue allowing for future real-time tissue differentiation and margin assessment during breast cancer surgery. A total of 972 spectra generated by electrosurgical sparking on normal and abnormal tissue were used for support vector classifier (SVC) training. Specific spectroscopic features were selected for the classification of tissues in the included breast cancer patients. The average classification accuracy for all patients was 96.9%. Normal and abnormal breast tissue could be differentiated with a mean sensitivity of 94.8%, a specificity of 99.0%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 99.1% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 96.1%. For 66.6% patients all classifications reached 100%. Based on this convincing data, a future clinical application of OES-based tissue differentiation in breast cancer surgery seems to be feasible.

Hybrid argon plasma coagulation (HybridAPC) versus sharp excision for the treatment of endometriosis: a prospective randomized clinical trial.

PURPOSE: Endometriosis is a benign, but potentially serious gynaecological condition in terms of abdominal pain and impaired fertility. Laparoscopic excision techniques are considered the therapeutic standard. HybridAPC is presented as a novel technique for the non-contact thermal ablation of peritoneal endometriosis with simultaneous protection of the underlying thermosensitive structures by creating a needle-free elevated fluid cushion which enables a safer exposure and distance, as well as potentially improved peritoneal conditioning prior to APC. METHODS: In this prospective randomized clinical trial, 39 patients with 132 superficial endometriotic lesions in total were treated with HybridAPC or sharp excision in an initial laparoscopic procedure according to randomization. In a second-look laparoscopy, adhesion formation was rated macroscopically. Histologic samples were taken from previously treated areas for evaluation of eradication rate. RESULTS: The eradication rate was not significantly different between HybridAPC treatment and sharp excision (65 vs. 81%, p = .55). Adhesions formed in 5% of HybridAPC-treated lesions and in 10% after sharp excision (p = .49). HybridAPC treatment was significantly faster than sharp excision (69 vs. 106 s, p < .05). No intra- and postoperative complications were registered. CONCLUSION: This clinical trial demonstrates the feasibility of this novel surgical technique with a promising impact on adhesion prevention. Compared to sharp excision, HybridAPC is likely to be a safe, tissue-preserving, and fast method for the treatment of peritoneal endometriosis.

A prospective randomized experimental study to investigate the peritoneal adhesion formation after waterjet injection and argon plasma coagulation (HybridAPC) in a rat model.

BACKGROUND: This prospective, randomized, controlled, single-blinded study investigates the peritoneal adhesion formation of HybridAPC (waterjet elevation of the peritoneum with subsequent argon plasma coagulation) versus only waterjet (elevation with the same instrument, but without subsequent argon plasma coagulation) in a rat model (24 female Wistar rats). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bilateral lesions were created on the abdominal wall with HybridAPC on one sidewall and waterjet elevation on the other sidewall of the peritoneum in a standard fashion. After 10 days, the rats were euthanized to evaluate the peritoneal trauma sites. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Adhesion incidence, quantity, and quality were scored 10 days postoperatively and studied histopathologically. RESULT(S): Incidence of adhesion formation was 2.3% for HybridAPC; no adhesions occurred for peritoneal elevation with saline (p = 1.00). Histologic evaluation revealed no acute inflammation in both groups. An overall moderate degree of granulation tissue formation and myonecrosis was observed in the HybridAPC group, whereas no chronic inflammation and myonecrosis occurred after elevation without thermal ablation (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION(S): This study investigates the effect of waterjet elevation of the peritoneum with and without subsequent thermal ablation on adhesion formation in a rat model for the first time. Peritoneal waterjet elevation with saline does not provide any risk of adhesion formation. Thermal coagulation with APC after waterjet elevation of the peritoneum creates advantageous peritoneal conditions due to a permanent moist tissue surface and the cooling effect of the injected solution, resulting in no significant difference in adhesion formation compared to peritoneal elevation without thermal ablation. HybridAPC can thus be regarded as a beneficial coagulation method with only minor adhesion formation due to positive tissue effects of the combined waterjet.