NEW TECHNOLOGY AT AUDUBON COUNTY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL PROMISES TO MORE ACCURATELY IDENTIFY AND REMOVE BREAST CANCERS, IMPROVING THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE IN AUDUBON COUNTY
[Audubon, IA, September 9, 2024] – Audubon County Memorial Hospital and Clinics has become the first facility in the area to offer breast cancer patients access to the Magseed® marker technology, a pioneering medical device designed to aid physicians in locate cancerous tissue for precise removal.
Magseed® is a small metallic seed, roughly the size of a grain of rice, which is primarily used to mark tumors, but can also be used in lymph node surgical procedures for more advanced cancers. It replaces the traditional and outdated method of treatment, known as wire localization.
Unlike wires, which can be both cumbersome for physicians and uncomfortable for patients, the Magseed is minimally invasive and increases the likelihood of the cancer being removed in one surgical procedure.
This innovative technology can be placed at the site of the cancer site days, weeks or even months ahead of surgery which offers greater flexibility for the patient as well as Audubon County Memorial Hospital’s General Surgeon, Dr. Jeffrey Maire. With this added benefit, patients will receive a better experience because there is less time waiting at the hospital on the day of surgery for an extra procedure.
Once placed, the Magseed® cannot be dislodged or damaged. During surgery, it emits a magnetic signal that is picked up by the Sentimag® probe – similar to how a metal detector would work – showing when the seed is close and helping Dr. Maire to locate the target cancer.
Once the cancer has been detected and removed, it is then sent to pathology to determine the stage of the cancer and whether further surgery, or any other form of treatment, is required.
ACMH has also become the first facility in the area to offer breast cancer patients access to the world’s first non-radioactive, dual-tracer breast cancer staging technology.
The Magtrace® lymphatic tracer is a simple iron oxide-based magnetic solution designed to simplify breast cancer staging, while providing a more patient-friendly experience.
Magtrace is used in a staging procedure called Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy. Breast cancer staging procedures determine the size of the cancer and whether it has spread to other parts of the body.
During this procedure, the Magtrace is injected into the breast at any point up to a month ahead of surgery and can be done in either the clinic or the operating room. As a result, the procedure can be scheduled at a time that best suits both the patient and provider.
This unique tracer follows the path that invasive cancer cells would take, migrating up to the underarm to identify the first lymph nodes – also known as sentinel nodes. The Magtrace then marks those lymph nodes for removal during surgery.
When it is time to remove the lymph nodes, this technology emits a magnetic signal picked up by the Sentimag® probe – which works like a metal detector – to help locate the target tissue. As an added benefit, it also stains the node to provide the surgeon visual confirmation.
These factors allow surgeons, like ACMH’s General Surgeon, Dr. Jeffrey Maire, to only remove the lymph nodes that they really need to take.
Dr. Maire states, “Magtrace and Magseed provide highly accurate guidance for procedures and give flexibility as to when these agents can be deployed. Magtrace eliminates the dual method of radionucleotide and blue dye to one injection that has the staining of the lymph node for identification and the magnetic precision for finding the lymph nodes involved.”
Once removed, the Magtrace-marked lymph nodes are sent to pathology to assess whether the cancer has spread to the underarm. This will then determine if further surgery is needed, or if the patient can be moved on to less invasive treatment.
The current standard of care for breast cancer staging involves a combination of radioactive isotopes and blue dye. Use of this dye can pose a risk of anaphylaxis in some patients. Switching to Magtrace will reduce this risk and improve long term patient outcomes.
As an additional benefit, Magtrace’s long injection window is now providing ACMH’s General Surgeon, Dr. Jeffrey Maire with opportunities to provide more advanced surgical options, and in some cases reduce unnecessary underarm surgery altogether.
Dr. Maire explains, “The unique ability of Magtrace is that sentinel node biopsy can be delayed up to one month in patients with Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS) that have chosen mastectomy. This 30-day window allows us to make an informed decision based on tissue pathology, identifying if the procedure is needed and saving the patient from a prophylactic sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) at the time of the mastectomy procedure. Approximately 80% of patients have non-invasive DCIS and are able to avoid lymph node surgery. In the 20% of patients who will need SLNB procedure, advances in treatment with Magtrace allow the patient to undergo the procedure without the use of radioactive drugs and blue dye, which can both cause adverse reactions.”
In December 2022, Magtrace was FDA approved for use in all breast cancer staging procedures, according to Endomag, the manufacturer of Magtrace.
If you have any questions or concerns about your breast health, contact your primary care provider or one of the Audubon County Memorial Hospital’s Rural Health Clinic providers at 712-563-4611 (Audubon) or 712-268-5348 (Exira).
If you would like an appointment with Dr. Jeffrey Maire, or more information on understanding how this new technology may benefit your needs please, contact ACMH’s Outpatient Specialty Clinic at 712-563-5304.
