New Technology for Removing Breast Cancer

Dec 29

December 29 – AMERICAN FORK, UTAH – For women who have had an area of concern detected on a traditional mammogram, there is new technology helping surgeons locate the tissue and remove it with more precision.

The technology is called radioactive seed localization (RSL), and involves placing a tracker—a small radioactive seed the size of a mustard seed—inside the breast tissue using ultrasound or mammography guidance. In surgery, a gamma probe is then used to scan over the breast and locate the exact spot of the abnormal tissue. The surgeon’s goal is to remove all abnormal or cancerous tissue along with a minimal rim of healthy tissue to ensure all cancerous cells have been removed.

“Mammography has gotten so good that we can identify cancers long before they can be felt,” said Jennifer Tittensor, M.D., general surgeon and Medical Staff President at American Fork Hospital. “We needed a way to accurately identify these tumors and remove them completely while sparing more healthy tissue.” RSL has become a widely accepted treatment option for biopsies and lumpectomies, and is an alternative to needle (wire) localization.

In a study of more than 200 patients, results showed the seed improved accuracy. RSL had a higher success rate, compared to the wire, for a clean margin and reduced the number of follow up surgeries by 7 percent. “That’s a big difference to an individual patient,” said Tittensor.

In surgery, the margin is the amount of healthy tissue surrounding the cancerous cells. With a positive margin, there is no rim (or margin) of healthy tissue around the tumor. This means not all of the cancer has been removed, and the patient must undergo a second surgery to remove more tissue and get a clean margin. That second surgery is hard emotionally, adds significant expense, and increases the risk of infection for the patient.

For breast cancer survivor Amie Searcy, it was important to have the option of a less radical procedure that still resulted in the complete removal of her cancerous tumor. “Having this lumpectomy, where such a small amount of tissue was removed, was the best possible solution,” she said. “It was great that this was afforded me and that the technology is available.”

RSL provides several advantages to the patient, including

Increased Accuracy
It is less likely that extra tissue will be removed with RSL because the seed clearly identifies the trouble spot. The tracker pinpoints the location and allows the surgeon to approach the area from any angle, based on what will be the easiest and cosmetically best, and provides continued orientation throughout the procedure. Since the tissue is opened up during surgery to remove the seed, it is analyzed on site to confirm all of the abnormal tissue has been removed. If not, the surgeon can go back and take a little more tissue, saving extra surgery, cost, mental distress, risk of infection and the appearance of the breast.
Convenience
The amount of radiation in the seed is very minimal, making it safe for the patient and members of the healthcare team. The seed can be placed up to two days before surgery. But most are done immediately prior to surgery. The implantation of the seed takes less than 15 minutes and is done by a radiologist, and the surgery to remove the tissue takes about 30 minutes. Both are done on an outpatient basis and patients can return to their normal activities the next day.
Comparable Cost
There is no increased cost to RSL, compared to the wire, and it produces better results.

####

For more information, please contact Janet Frank at (801) 357-7766 or janet.frank@imail.org.

For women who have had an area of concern detected on a traditional mammogram, there is new technology helping surgeons locate the tissue and remove it with more precision.