Augmented reality tumor mapping: eliminating positive margins in oncosurgery

Augmented reality (AR) is transforming cancer surgery by combining medical imaging with real-time visualization during operations. Using 3D digital models of tumors, AR allows surgeons to see the precise location and borders of cancers directly on the patient. Early studies in breast, brain, urologic, and skin cancers show that AR improves accuracy and helps surgeons remove tumors more completely and safely. Research from China and South Korea has demonstrated accurate margin identification in skin and breast tumor surgeries, while teams in Italy and Belgium have reported better surgical planning and shorter operation times in prostate and brain tumor procedures. AR is also being used to train surgeons in low-resource settings, improving access to advanced surgical methods worldwide. Positive surgical margins, which are associated with increased local recurrence rates and reduced survival, highlight the critical need for accurate intraoperative tumor visualization across tumor types. Although more clinical trials are needed to confirm its ability to reduce positive margins, AR-guided tumor mapping shows great promise as a standard tool to support safer, more precise oncologic surgery.