Current methods can take days, using histopathology to determine if a sufficient margin of tissue around the tumor has been removed, ensuring that all of the cancerous tissue has been excised. In 20-40% of patients treated with lumpectomy, histopathology results indicate another operation will be needed. For breast cancer patients, the need to undergo a second surgery (and, potentially, additional subsequent surgeries) creates significant emotional and financial stress.Text adapted from: http://patents.justia.com/patent/20140198893Image by _oblique_ via Flickr.
