SPRINGFIELD breast cancer patients are benefiting from groundbreaking radar technology allowing surgeons to pinpoint tumours within a millimetre, potentially preserving more healthy breast tissue and getting patients into surgery sooner.
Mater Hospital Springfield is using Savi Scout technology to precisely locate cancerous tissue, replacing the traditional reliance on guide wires inserted into the breast on the day of surgery.
The technology is being highlighted ahead of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, with one in seven Australian women expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime.
Mater Hospital Springfield breast surgeon Susan Bell said the technology was transforming the way surgeons approached breast cancer procedures.
“Previously a radiologist would insert a thin metal wire on the day of surgery,” Dr Bell said.
“Those wires would just point where the cancer is within the breast tissue, but the problem with that was sometimes they moved.
“So, by the time they came to theatre, they could have dislodged and wouldn’t be accurate anymore.”
Savi Scout instead uses a small electronic marker, roughly one centimetre in size, which can be placed in the breast before surgery.
During the operation, radar technology detects the marker and guides the surgeon directly to the cancer.
“The signal can tell us exactly in millimetres where the cancer is located. Importantly, it doesn’t move,” Dr Bell said.
The system can locate the cancer to within 1mm, allowing surgeons to potentially remove less healthy tissue surrounding the tumour.
“With the Savi Scout being more a point-targeted marker, you can potentially take less of the healthy breast tissue around it and leave a better cosmetic result,” Dr Bell said.
For patients already facing the physical and emotional toll of a breast cancer diagnosis, the technology could also mean less time waiting for surgery.
Unlike the traditional wire localisation method, surgeons do not need a radiologist available immediately before the procedure, providing greater flexibility when scheduling operations.
“We don’t have to rely on radiologists to be present with this surgery, so we’ve got much more flexibility in our theatre scheduling – which is very beneficial,” Dr Bell said.
“The waiting time for breast cancer surgery is being brought forward by a number of days.
“Patients can have their operations earlier because they don’t have to wait for a list where radiologists are also available.”
The technology comes as communities prepare to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month throughout October.
One in seven Australian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime, while one in four Queensland women diagnosed with the disease is treated at a Mater hospital across the state.
Mater Hospital Springfield General Manager Suzanne Hawksley said the new technology represented an important addition to local cancer care.
“I’m extremely proud that we can offer this revolutionary technology to our patients,” Ms Hawksley said.
“Many of us know someone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer and we know it can be a difficult journey – providing additional options to cut down wait times or recovery is very much welcomed.”
The Savi Scout technology was funded through community donations to Mater Foundation, helping bring the advanced breast cancer treatment closer to home for Springfield and surrounding communities.
