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The kidney cancer clinic at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge is using a new microscope capable of diagnosing biopsy samples within minutes instead of days or weeks. This confocal microscope is the first to be used in this manner in the UK as a “one-stop” kidney clinic.
Patients with suspected kidney cancer can have a biopsy, receive a diagnosis, and discuss treatment options on the same day.
The microscope was funded by Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) and the University of Cambridge and resembles an office printer or scanner. It is typically used in dermatology and provides high-resolution images of tissue samples, allowing pathologists at the kidney clinic to make immediate diagnoses.
Professor Grant Stewart, consultant urologist at Addenbrooke’s Hospital and professor of surgical oncology at the University of Cambridge, stated that this is the first time a confocal microscope has been used in this way for patients in the UK. He noted that offering same-day diagnosis reduces the number of hospital appointments and enables earlier discussions about treatment options.
Waiting times for patients at the kidney clinic have been reduced by more than half, decreasing average waiting periods from 55 days to 25 days. Dr Anne Warren, consultant pathologist at the hospital, explained that while previously patients had to wait several days or weeks for results, an initial diagnosis can now be provided within minutes. Traditional methods, such as histology processing, are still carried out afterward to gather additional information about the tumour.
