MetroWest Medical Center now offers breast cancer patients access to the Magseed® marker technology, a medical device designed to aid physicians in locating cancerous tissue for precise removal. The Magseed® is minimally invasive and increases the likelihood of the cancer being removed in one surgical procedure.
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. For that reason, it is difficult to feel when placed in the breast before surgery and is designed to be painless. It is meant to replace the traditional and outdated method of treatment, known as wire localization, which can be both cumbersome for physicians and uncomfortable for patients.
“Once placed, the Magseed® cannot be dislodged or damaged,” says Dr. Lorenzo Bucci, a General and Breast Surgeon at MetroWest Medical Center. “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 the surgeon locate the target cancer.”
This technology can be placed at the cancer site days or weeks ahead of surgery. This provides greater flexibility for the physicians. Patients benefit because there may be less time waiting on the day of surgery for an extra procedure.
“The Magseed® marker combined with the Sentimag® probe can be an effective method to localize non-palpable breast lesions. Not only does Magseed® help us to identity the exact location of the patient’s cancer, but this technology also improves a patient’s journey from a mental standpoint,” explains MetroWest Medical Center Radiologist Dr. Neha Modi, Division Director of Mammography. “The patient generally feels the exact same as their biopsy, however, it can be much quicker and less painful than the biopsy.”
“We are committed to bringing these kinds of advanced technologies and treatments, such as our Magseed® product, to MetroWest Medical Center to help meet the healthcare needs of our community and enhance our clinical capabilities,” says MetroWest Medical Center CEO John Whitlock, Jr.
More than 2.3 million people worldwide are diagnosed with breast cancer every year.
For more information, please visit MetroWest Medical Center’s Imaging Center page here. Also, take our Breast Cancer quiz here.
About MetroWest Medical Center
MetroWest Medical Center is a teaching community health care system serving the greater MetroWest region of Massachusetts. For more than 125 years, it provides services in three locations: Framingham Union Hospital, a full-service acute care hospital in Framingham; Leonard Morse Hospital, a behavioral health facility in Natick; and MetroWest Wellness Center, an outpatient care center of MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham. MetroWest Medical Center is committed to meeting the health care needs of the area residents by providing advanced medicine and personalized care, right in the local community. In 2023, Healthgrades® named MetroWest Medical Center one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Coronary Intervention Award™ which puts MetroWest Medical Center in the top 5% of hospitals nationwide for Coronary Intervention. To learn more, visit www.mwmc.com.
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