What to Know About This Common Breast Cancer Treatment
Our breast cancer surgeons are leaders in lumpectomy, a type of breast cancer surgery used to precisely remove the cancer while leaving most of the surrounding breast tissue intact. Our team at St. Luke’s Center for Cancer Care is committed to continuously improving surgical techniques and outcomes to give you the best experience possible. That’s why we were the first healthcare system in St. Louis to offer a radiation-free technology to more precisely locate and target breast cancer tissue during a lumpectomy.
Traditional Lumpectomy
During a traditional lumpectomy, your radiologist locates the tumor and marks it with a wire. Your surgeon then uses the wires to know where to remove the tumor and some surrounding tissue. The wire sticks out of the breast and must be protected and kept in position until your surgery. Lumpectomies are usually short outpatient procedures using general anesthesia to put you in a sleeplike state. Doctors often recommend lumpectomies for early-stage breast cancer or for smaller tumors.
Wire-Free Localization Lumpectomy
With the SAVI SCOUT® radar localization system, we can offer a wire-free lumpectomy procedure that has several advantages. Instead of a wire, your radiologist will place a small reflector, about 1 centimeter, to help your surgeon locate the tumor. This can be done any time before your lumpectomy, because there’s no time limit to how long the reflector can stay in the body. It also doesn’t need to be protected after it’s placed. This means no extra waiting the morning of surgery.
On the day of your lumpectomy, your surgeon will scan your breast for the reflector to identify the tumor’s location. Studies have shown that wire-free localization helps surgeons locate a tumor with even greater accuracy and to keep more healthy breast tissue.