In this Tedx event from Maastricht University in the Netherlands, Professor Ron Heereen of the The Maastricht MultiModal Molecular Imaging Institute gives a presentation on new improvements in cancer surgery he has helped develop. Heereen uses mass spectrometry to reveal details about disease at the molecular level, and in this nice talk he explains his work very clearly.
Data obtained through mass spectrometry analysis of tumors can aid in precision medicine, in which therapies are tailored to the needs of individual patients. Interestingly, it is shown (around 15:00) how mass spectrometry is able to reveal details about where the margins are between malignant and healthy tissue that cannot be detected through an examination of the tissue pathology.
The talk touches on why it's becoming important for operating rooms to be updated to include new technologies that bring precision medicine to patients. The iKnife, a type of scalpel that actually provides surgeons with feedback about the tissue it contacts, is one such technology. Heereen's work aims to join cutting-edge tools with mass spectrometry imaging, and he and his team are working to bring the results to patients within a few years.