Safer technique to locate breast tumours
Raffles Hospital has pioneered a technique in Singapore which it said will benefit those with early-stage breast cancer and those with suspicious lumps in their breasts. Called the Radio-isotope Occult Lesion Localisation (ROLL), the technique uses a gamma probe to locate breast abnormalities after radioactive material is injected into the breast. Dr Felicia Tan of Raffles Surgery Centre, who pioneered the procedure in Singapore, said ROLL has been performed on some 50 patients since February this year.
Dr Tan said compared to the current hookwire practice where a wire is inserted into the breast to mark the area with a lump, ROLL is safer and requires shorter surgery time. Raffles Hospital is also using a new 3D mammography imaging technology to capture images of the breast at multiple angles.
Doctors say compared to 2D mammograms, 3D mammography imaging technology gives doctors a better idea of the size and depth of breast abnormalities. Two other hospitals — Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and Mount Elizabeth Hospital — are also using the new technology.
Wow Singapore is the leader when it comes to detecting early-stage breast cancer thanks to Dr. Felicia Tan! Raffles Hospital has pioneered a technique in Singapore which it said will benefit those with early-stage breast cancer and those with suspicious lumps in their breasts.