A deep look into the tissue New 3D X-ray method detects dangerous tumors at an early stage

SDA

22.2.2025 - 16:35

Microscopic image of a thyroid carcinoma. With the new X-ray technology, tumors do not have to be cut into thin slices for imaging diagnosis. (symbolic image)
Microscopic image of a thyroid carcinoma. With the new X-ray technology, tumors do not have to be cut into thin slices for imaging diagnosis. (symbolic image)
IMAGO/Pond5 Images

A new method allows Swiss researchers to examine tumors in 3D. The special X-ray technology makes it possible to capture deeper layers of tissue, which was previously not possible.

Keystone-SDA

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  • A new 3D X-ray technique leaves tumor tissue undamaged and usable for further molecular biological examinations.
  • The 3D analysis also detects tumor characteristics in the deeper tissue layers, which are sometimes overlooked by conventional methods.
  • The method could also be used in future to replace complex molecular analyses with simpler imaging procedures.

Instead of cutting tumors into thin slices, Swiss researchers use a special 3D X-ray technique that leaves the tissue undamaged. This means that the sample remains usable for further molecular biological investigations, explained the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology Empa in a press release on Thursday.

The three-dimensional images of the so-called X-ray phase-contrast micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) are analyzed with the help of artificial intelligence.

According to Empa, a major advantage of 3D analysis is that it also detects tumor characteristics in the deeper tissue layers that might be overlooked by conventional methods. Aggressive, fast-growing tumors often break into the surrounding tissue and even into blood vessels. Such capsule break-ins deep in the tissue are often overlooked by conventional methods.

Other types of cancer too

Together with pathologists from the University of Bern and Inselspital Bern, the Empa researchers demonstrated that the new method can detect clinically relevant tissue characteristics in thyroid tumors.

To do so, they examined a thyroid tumor sample from a patient who had recently died. This patient had been hospitalized in 2011 due to a tumour that was classified as benign but later recurred in a malignant form. According to Empa, the researchers were able to use the new method to identify capsule breakages in the tissue samples that had been overlooked by the original method.

According to Empa, this examination method could also be used for other types of cancer such as prostate cancer or lung cancer in the future. The researchers would also like to replace complex molecular analyses with simpler imaging methods.