Perhaps this breast sparing, less invasion procedure will help keep
breasts intact for a woman's future breastfeeding.
Judy Ritchie



Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, in conjunction with
BioLuminate, has created a breast cancer detection tool that "removes
no tissue" and "expected to achieve accuracy levels comparable to
surgical biopsies in detecting cancerous cells."
.
The "Smart Probe" is a small needle that is inserted into the breast.
The probe measures, in real time,
optical, electrical and chemical properties that are known to
differ between healthy and cancerous tissues. The "Smart Probe"
can detect multiple (5 to 7) known indicators of breast cancer.
Not only are the results from the smart probe instantaneous, it will
also
cut down on the need for surgical biopsies:
.
In the U.S. each week, approximately 16,000 women undergo
unnecessary, surgical breast biopsies on suspicious tissue that
turns out benign. In addition, physicians miss about 4,600 cases
of breast cancer each week during physical examinations and
mammogram reviews.
.
"By using the BioLuminate ‘Smart Probe’ before biopsies are
performed on suspicious lesions, many unnecessary surgeries can
be eliminated," said Richard Hular, President and CEO of
BioLuminate.
Human trials begin this spring.
.
For more information about the "Smart Probe," visit
http://www.llnl.gov/llnl/06news/NewsReleases/2001/NR-01-01-06.html

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