According to a new study, the use of ultrasound-guided surgery gives women the best results, when compared to traditional surgery.
A new standard of care
Some doctors believe the ultrasound technology is like flying blind, and prefer the traditional surgery that includes a scalpel where they feel the tumor and cut it out. This new research could change the traditional treatment.
Dr Nicole Krekel, a PhD student in the department of surgical oncology and resident doctor in plastic and reconstructive surgery at VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, The Netherlands says, “Our results show that ultrasound surgery can prevent the unacceptably high rate of margins containing cancer cells in palpable breast cancer excision, thus avoiding subsequent surgery or radiotherapy. In addition, the procedure largely reduces the amount of unnecessary healthy breast tissue resection, thereby contributing to the improvement of cosmetic results.”
By using USS, 96.7% of all tumors were excised with adequate, tumor-free margins, compared with only 83.4% in the traditional group, yet the volume of tissue excised was significantly smaller in the USS group.
Given the overwhelming advantages of ultrasound-guided surgery, Krekel believes it should become the recommended treatment for breast cancer patients.
“The surgeon performing adequate ultrasound will clearly provide better surgical practice. It is therefore highly recommended for surgeons to learn the skills needed to perform USS,” she said. “The technique is non-invasive, simple, safe and effective, and can be easily learned.”
A survivor talks about the procedure
Becca Martin, a breast cancer survivor, says her ultrasound surgery was a success. “I was happy to have this option,” she said. “It’s a much less invasive procedure. I have a small scar and my doctor believes all of the cancer is gone.”
One in eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. In 2011, an estimated 230,000 women were diagnosed with the disease.
