MarginProbe庐 Improves Surgeons鈥 Ability to Identify in the Operating Room 鈥淐ancers on the Margins鈥 鈥 Reducing Risk of Additional Surgical Intervention Following Lumpectomy
Many patients undergoing lumpectomy surgery at 嘿嘿视频 Medical Center for the removal of an early detected breast tumor 鈥 the surgical option of choice for this diagnosis 鈥 are benefitting from new intra-operative technology that detects microscopic amounts of cancer cells on removed tumor tissue not visible during or following surgical intervention.
The Division of Breast Surgery at 嘿嘿视频 was the first in New York City to utilize MarginProbe庐 for early stage breast cancer. Manufactured and marketed by Dune Medical Devices, MarginProbe utilizes non-destructive radio-frequency spectroscopy technology in the operating room to analyze the outer margins of removed cancerous tissue to detect traces of cancer cells. If cancer cells are detected along the margins of the removed tissue, the surgeon excises additional tissue from the surgical site to ensure that no additional cancer cells remain.
鈥淭he greatest benefit of MarginProbe is that we can perform this additional tissue removal during a patient鈥檚 initial surgery, thereby sparing them the anxiety and frustration of additional follow-up surgery,鈥 says Freya Schnabel, MD, Director of Breast Surgery at 嘿嘿视频.
MarginProbe was the subject of a major multi-institutional retrospective study led by Dr. Schnabel and published in the March 2014 edition in Annals of Surgical Oncology. The study examined close to 600 patients who underwent lumpectomies for non-palpable breast malignancies.聽It concluded that the utilization of MarginProbe was as much as three times more effective in finding additional cancer on the margins of removed tumor tissue, compared to more traditional intra-operative imaging and other assessment tools.
鈥淲e found that adjunctive use of the MarginProbe device in the operating room significantly improved surgeons鈥 ability to identify additional cancer cells on the margins of removed tumors,鈥 Dr. Schnabel says. 鈥淢arginProbe鈥檚 detection of additional cancer cells along the margins of removed tissue indicates that additional tissue removal is warranted. This, in turn, improves the rate of a completely successful lumpectomy with no additional follow-up surgery required.鈥
Dr. Schnabel has used MarginProbe in more than 50 cases, and is extremely encouraged with the results.聽鈥淭he MarginProbe allows us to increase the likelihood that patients will leave the OR with a successful lumpectomy,鈥 she says. 鈥淭his technology is a real advance, and represents a further refinement of the lumpectomy procedure.鈥
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer affecting women in the U.S., with over 285,000 new cases diagnosed each year. It is estimated that between 60 to 75 percent of these patients opt for a lumpectomy 鈥 the removal of the cancerous lesion, but not the entire breast. Most patients will undergo some form of post-surgical treatment, either chemotherapy or radiation therapy, or a combination of the two.
MarginProbe鈥檚 greatest benefit is that it provides added assurance to both the surgeon and the patient that all cancer cells are removed during the initial surgery. 鈥淚t is critically important to spare patients the additional burden of re-excision procedures and the time that is lost from work and family. MarginProbe helps us achieve that.鈥
NOTE: Dr. Schnabel has no disclosure of any commercial interest or financial support from Dune Medical Devices.
If you are a member of the media and wish to interview Dr. Schnabel and a patient who benefitted from the utilization of MarginProbe during breast cancer surgery, please contact:
Media Inquiries
Jim Mandler
Phone: 212-404-3525
jim.mandler@nyumc.org
