Brain cancer ‘diagnosed in 30 minutes’ with new test

The cancer can develop at any age, but the risk increases as a person gets older. Current diagnostic techniques for the disease involve a series of scans, including computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electroencephalogram (EEG). If a tumor is suspected after these scans, the patient will then undergo a biopsy – the […]

The cancer can develop at any age, but the risk increases as a person gets older. Current diagnostic techniques for the disease involve a series of scans, including computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electroencephalogram (EEG). If a tumor is suspected after these scans, the patient will then undergo a biopsy – the surgical removal of a small piece of tissue from the tumor. This requires the patient to stay in the hospital for 2 to 3 days. But investigators from the University of Central Lancashire in the UK say their new technique could “transform” the diagnosis of patients with brain tumors, eliminating the need for prolonged hospital stays and invasive tests.