Hurley Medical Center, a public teaching hospital in Genesee County, Michigan, has announced its surgeons are using the high performance MarginProbe system during breast lump removal procedures.
There are several differences between cancer cells and healthy cells, including their electromagnetic properties, which the MarginProbe system can detect using radiofrequency (RF) spectroscopy, measuring levels of both reflection and absorption of RF energy to determine cellular differences.
Once these electromagnetic signatures are detected, they can be compared and results can be reported to the surgeon in real time, allowing a fast and informed decision concerning the removal of additional tissue from the breast and the detection of minute amounts of cancer cells that were either not visible or left behind in the margin upon breast cancer surgery.
The next procedure taking place at Hurley Medical Center using the MarginProbe system is booked for November 10, on a 76-year old breast cancer female patient.
“This brand new technology could potentially prevent second or third surgeries, allowing the surgeon to get all the cancerous tissue in one surgery. Detecting microscopic cancerous matter before was extremely difficult. This not only makes it easier on the patient, but allows a quicker way to deal with cancerous tissue, when time is of the utmost importance” Raouf Mikhail, MD, FACS, FRCS.(C), Chief, Department of Surgery, Director, Hurley Comprehensive Breast Cancer Program and Medical Director, Hurley Cancer Center, said in a press release.
The Hurley Breast Cancer Program can provide a high level of clinical breast cancer care, making this hospital one of the leaders in breast health and breast cancer treatment.
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The Breast Cancer Program at Hurley Medical Center is certified by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), the accrediting body of the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer.
Hurley Medical center is the first to receive such a certificate in Genesee County, placing it among the six medical facilities that have been distinguished statewide. This type of certification acknowledges the commitment an institution has demonstrated to offer its patients significant improvements and advantages to fight against their breast cancer malignancies.