A system for detecting abnormal tissue in a patient including an introducercannula having a proximal opening anda distal opening. The system further includes a surgical instrument configuredfor selective insertion through the cannula. Thesurgical instrument further includes a tissue cutting opening positionedrelative to the distal end of the introducer cannula when fullyinserted through the introducer cannula. The system also includes a sensorconfigured to detect at least one property of the tissueof the patient. The sensor is located at a fixed distance relative to thedistal end of the introducer cannula when the surgical instrumentis inserted into the introducer cannula.
