Scientists have invented a pen-like device that can identify cancerous tissue during surgery and deliver over 96 per cent accurate results in just 10 seconds.

The MasSpec Pen is more than 150 times faster than existing technology.

It is an innovative disposable hand-held instrument that gives surgeons precise diagnostic information about what tissue to cut or preserve, helping improve treatment and reducing chances of cancer relapse.

"If you talk to cancer patients after surgery, one of the first things many will say is - I hope the surgeon got all the cancer out," said lead researcher Livia Schiavinato Eberlin, Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Austin.

"It's just heartbreaking when that's not the case. But our technology could vastly improve the odds leading surgeons to really remove every last trace of cancer during surgery," Eberlin added.

Source: Khaleej Times