NORTH-EAST scientists have revealed they are working on a laptop-sized device which could revolutionise how cancers are diagnosed and treated.

The world-beating invention is being developed as part of a partnership between private firm QuantuMDx, Newcastle University and Sheffield University.

Scientists say the Q-Cancer device will have a dramatic impact on the rapid and accurate diagnosis of cancer.

Company officials said the device has the potential to prolong the lives of the 12 million newly diagnosed cancer sufferers around the world.

It will enable surgeons to immediately remove most, if not all of the tumour, and allow cancer specialists to prescribe the correct treatment regime according to the type of cancer developed.

The benchtop device makes use of advanced nanotechnology, analysing submicroscopic amounts of tissue to work out the type of cancer, its genetic make-up and how far it has developed.

Professor Sir John Burn, the Newcastle University academic who is also medical director of QuantuMDx, said they were in the position "to deliver complex DNA tumour testing to the routine pathology lab or even to the operating theatre".

He added: "A low cost cassette requiring no technical expertise will extract, amplify and analyse tumour DNA to make sure the patient gets the right treatment first time and without delay."

Elaine Warburton, chief executive for QuantuMDx, said tumour samples are currently sent away to a laboratory for analysis, which can take several weeks to get a result.

She said the technology used by QuantuMDx can break up a sample and extract the DNA in under five minutes and represents "a world first for complex molecular diagnostics".

Ms Warbuton said the Q-Cancer project has the potential to lead to "numerous follow-on applications" in non-medical fields.

She said the project would "almost certainly" bring the UK back to the forefront as world leaders in diagnostic innovation.

The Q-Cancer project brings together the nanotechnology and chemistry expertise of Newcastle University and Sheffield University combined with the expertise of Leaders in Oncology Limited from London , Magna Parva Limited from Leicester and the design and engineering expertise of The Technology Partnership from Cambridge.

It is hoped that even smaller, hand-help devices can eventually be developed to help diagnose other conditions.