Patients will get access to a quicker, less invasive, and more accurate way of detecting the smallest of breast cancer tumours thanks to funding from The QEH King’s Lynn Charity.
Thanks to generous donations to the charity’s Breast Unit Fund, a £90,000 grant has enabled the purchase of a Breast SCOUT, a specialist device that can improve breast cancer treatment in the kindest way possible following a successful trial.
The SCOUT detector is designed to localise cancerous and abnormal tissue using a tiny infra-red reflector. It is expected to help around a third of the 300 cancer patients under the care of the hospital’s Breast Care Department.
Small cancers seen only on mammograms can generally be removed with a lumpectomy. Currently, clinicians either thread a wire or inject a radioactive solution into the breast to provide guidance during surgery to identify tumours. This is time consuming, often invasive and uncomfortable and in a small number of cases can result in second surgery because these methods are not wholly accurate.
This new innovative technology provides a much better experience for patients, as the SCOUT reflector can be inserted at the time of an initial biopsy, rather than on the day of surgery. It is also more accurate, therefore giving clinicians better successes in finding and removing the smallest of tumours.
Amy Burger, Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon at The QEH, said: “We are very excited to be able to offer this to our patients. We trialled the product last year – it makes the experience of surgery much smoother for patients and reduces the risk of needing a further procedure. This wouldn’t have been possible without the unstinting fundraising efforts of our wonderful patients and their families and friends.”
The QEH King’s Lynn Charity (registered charity number1051327) exists to enhance patient, carer and staff experience through supporting projects, activities and training over and above that provided through the NHS.
It relies of fundraising support, donations and legacies, and manages several small funds including the Breast Unit Fund which funded this equipment.
To find out more about the QEH King’s Lynn charity or to donate, click here. For further information please email charity@qehkl.nhs.uk
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For further information, please contact Communications Team, media.enquiries@qehkl.nhs.uk or 01553 613216.
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