Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Hong Quang, Head of Breast Surgery Department, K Hospital, said that accurately locating non-touchable breast lesions plays a very important role in the treatment of early-stage breast cancer. If the location is not correctly identified, doctors may miss out on lesions or have to remove more healthy tissue than necessary.
Currently, there are two main groups of positioning techniques: wired positioning and wireless positioning.
For many years, wired positioning has been considered a standard method. Under guidance from ultrasound, X-ray, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the doctor inserts a specialized needle into the lesion and inserts the hooked wire to fix it in the breast tissue. Based on the path of the wire, the surgeon accurately identifies the area to be removed.
This method has the advantage of being simple, reasonable cost, and time-tested effectiveness. However, patients often feel uncomfortable because the cord is outside the body. In addition, the cord may be moved during waiting or transportation to the operating room, affecting the accuracy of the surgery.
The advent of wireless positioning technology has brought more benefits. Instead of using wires, doctors place a small marker device directly at the site of the injury. This device can be placed many days or weeks before surgery without affecting the patient's daily life.
During surgery, the doctor used a specialized probe to determine the location of the tumor in real time with very high accuracy. Thanks to that, the lesions were completely removed while the healthy breast tissue was maximally preserved.
One of the modern wireless positioning technologies being widely used in the world is SAVI SCOUT. The system operates with electromagnetic radar technology. A small signal reflector is placed at the site of the injury and responds to the signal from the surgeon's probe, helping to accurately determine the location of the tumor during surgery.
The outstanding advantage of SAVI SCOUT is that it does not use radioactive substances, which is safe for both patients and medical staff. This technology is also less affected by metal instruments in the operating room, helping to improve accuracy. In addition to tumors, the system can also mark lesions or lymph nodes before patients undergo chemotherapy, support monitoring and surgery more conveniently.
According to experts, the current treatment trend is gradually shifting from wired positioning to wireless positioning thanks to high accuracy, convenient procedures and better experience for patients. At K Hospital, this technique has been deployed and has shown positive effects in the treatment of early-stage breast cancer.
Experts emphasize that breast cancer, if detected and treated early, has a very high chance of recovery. Combining modern screening with precision positioning technologies is helping to improve treatment effectiveness and quality of life for patients after surgery.
