BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Research presented at a national conference by well-known breast cancer expert Cary Kaufman, M.D. documents pioneering work with a small three-dimensional marker that improves the treatment of breast cancer.
Dr. Kaufman is the first surgeon in the Pacific Northwest to use the BioZorb™marker. He presented findings on his experience at the 2015 Breast Cancer Symposium, held last month in San Francisco.
The BioZorb marker is sutured in place during lumpectomy surgery just after the cancer is removed. In a lumpectomy, the cancer and a small amount of breast tissue surrounding the tumor are removed as part of breast conservation therapy. This is then typically followed by several weeks of radiation to the breast, to help prevent the cancer from returning.
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The BioZorb implant is the first device that identifies in a fixed, 3D manner where the tumor was removed. By doing this, treatments and follow-up after surgery can be more precise. There are other benefits for patients as well, including better cosmetic outcomes.
"Our patients are happy with the results because the marker helps to maintain the appearance and contour of the breast after surgery," Dr. Kaufman said. "Even though the marker is small, it adds some volume where tissue was removed during surgery, and we've noticed that this makes a significant difference."
The implant structure is designed to dissolve slowly over time, and Dr. Kaufman notes that this appears to be helpful in the healing process. "We have also seen that over the course of a year or so, healthy tissue grows into the space where the device was placed. The implant itself dissolves during this extended period of time, leaving behind small clips to permanently identify the area for doctors to follow."
By sewing the marker into the "ghost space" where the cancer was removed, Dr. Kaufman said, the surgeon can be more effective in communicating to the radiation oncologist exactly where the cancer was located. This in turn makes it possible for the radiation oncologist to be more confident in aiming the radiation treatments.
Optimal radiation targeting is important to insure the radiation is delivered to the area most likely to have a recurrence, and also to protect nearby healthy tissues from being inadvertently exposed to radiation.
The BioZorb device consists of a spiral structure made out of bioabsorbable material that holds six titanium clips. The spiral slowly dissolves in the body over the course of a year or more. The tiny marker clips stay in place so the surgical site can be identified for long-term monitoring.
