SCOUT

Many women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancers today choose to have breast-conservation therapy known as lumpectomy, rather than mastectomy. Breast-conservation therapy focuses on removing the tumor, allowing you to keep your healthy breast tissue.

Traditionally, with a lumpectomy, the surgeon inserts a wire in the breast several hours before surgery to mark the location of the tumor. Because the end of the wire sticks out from the breast, the patient must restrict their movement so that the wire is not accidentally displaced.

However, a more convenient and comfortable process is available where the doctor inserts a tiny reflector about the size of a grain of rice, instead of a wire, to mark the tumor location. During surgery, the surgeon will detect the location of the reflector using non-radioactive radar waves through a technology called SCOUT® wire-free radar localization. The reflector is completely passive until activated in the operating room when the surgeon locates and removes both the tumor and reflector.

Available at Orlando Health Cancer Institute, wire-free radar localization offers these advantages over wire localization:

• The reflector is not externally visible after placement and will not restrict your daily activities.
• The ability to place the reflector on a separate day can simplify your day of surgery, minimize wait time and lessen anxiety.
• Lumpectomy procedures can be performed in the morning without requiring any daytime fasting.
• Your surgeon is better able to plan and execute precise tumor removal.
• Wire-free localization avoids the potential problems of wire kinking, migration and/or displacement that can occur before surgery.