Einstein Hospital's New Tool Could Save Breast Cancer Patients Additional Pain
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Doctors at Einstein Medical Center are using a new tool to find cancerous tissue during breast cancer surgery.
The Margin Probe System uses electromagnetic waves to detect cancerous tissue around malignant tumors, while doctors are performing lumpectomies.
Dr. Lisa Jablon, director of breast surgery at Einstein Medical Center, says it should prevent follow-up surgeries when tissue taken in the operation is found to be cancerous during lab testing days later.
"When you come in for a lumpectomy, historically, the chance of having a positive margin, one that's not clear is anywhere from 10 to 50 percent," she says, "so there's a high chance, they average about a third of women, may have to have a second surgery to clean up an edge around their cancers.
The probe lights up when cancerous tissue is found so doctors can remove it and be assured the tissue around the surgical site is cancer free.