A simpler way to check for the spread of breast cancer
When you’re diagnosed with breast cancer, the first thing your doctor wants to know is if it has spread to your lymph nodes – if it has, you’ll need more aggressive treatment.
Breast Cancer Foundation NZ is funding a pilot – a joint venture between surgeons at Nelson and Auckland Hospitals – of an easier way to find cancer in the lymph nodes.
Right now, doctors use two methods in combination – a blue dye and and a radioactive compound. The blue dye can cause health problems, and the radioactive compound can only be used in a major cancer centre: patients often have to travel a long way, and spend more time in hospital. The new method uses a simple magnetic tracer. If the pilot is successful, we hope surgeons around New Zealand will adopt this new, safe and cost-effective method of checking for cancer in the lymph nodes.
Surgeons Dr Anna Morrow from Nelson Hospital and Dr Isaac Cranshaw from Auckland Hospital successfully applied to Breast Cancer Foundation NZ’s recent Collaboration and Innovation in Breast Cancer grant programme for funding for this exciting pilot. We look forward to hearing the results.