A surgical team at Stanford (Calif.) Medicine has become the first in the U.S. to use a fluorescent imaging system that identifies cancer cells after a lumpectomy.
The new technology aims to prevent repeat surgeries by catching residual breast tumor margins immediately in the operating room, according to an April 30 news release from Stanford.
Patients receive an injection of fluorescent dye about two hours before surgery. After tumor removal, the operating room is darkened and surgeons use the imaging system to find leftover cancer cells, adding five to seven minutes to the procedure time, Stanford Medicine surgeon Irene Wapnir, MD, said in the release.
“It’s always very disappointing to have to tell a patient, ‘We need to go back in,'” Dr. Wapnir said. “If we can avoid that, it’s better for the patient and better for the health system.”
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