Possible to eliminate unneeded biopsies.

• Position: Microendoscopy

A low-cost, portable, battery-powered microendoscope, developed by bioengineers at Rice University, Houston, Texas, eventually could eliminate the need for costly biopsies for many patients undergoing standard endoscopic screening for esophageal cancer.

A clinical study involving U.S. and Chinese patients undergoing examination for potentially malignant squamous cell tumors explored whether the high-resolution fiber-optic imaging system could reduce the need for unnecessary biopsies when used in combination with a conventional endoscope--the worldwide standard of care for esophageal cancer diagnoses.

A pathology exam revealed that 58% of the patients did not have high-grade precancer or cancer. The researchers found that the microendoscopic exam could have spared unnecessary biopsies for about 90% of the patients with benign lesions.

"For patients, biopsies are stressful and sometimes painful," says lead researcher Rebecca Kortum, professor of bioengineering and electrical and computer engineering and director of Rice 360[degrees]: Institute for Global Health Technologies. "In addition, in low-resource settings, pathology costs frequently exceed endoscopy costs. So, the microendoscope could both improve patient outcomes and provide a significant cost-saving advantage if used in conjunction with a traditional endoscope."

When examined under a microscope...