The Action for Breast Cancer Foundation has donated a piece of equipment to the Mater Dei hospital which will be used in conjunction with breast surgery for the treatment of breast cancer.
The gamma probe, which cost the foundation some €10,000, is a hand-held device which enables the precise detection of sentinel lymph nodes.
It is a minimally invasive procedure which results in less swelling and pain.
Health Minister Joe Cassar said the device helps limit the number of nodes removed and consequently reduces the chance of lymphoedema (fluid retention and swelling).
He noted that the device is the second of its kind, after the first gamma probe was acquired in 2009. The recent addition will ensure consistency in the service offered.
Earlier this year, the foundation presented the hospital’s multidisciplinary team with a breast biopsy gun for breast surgeons, a pigmentation machine for plastic surgery and mastectomy brassieres for breast cancer patients.
In 2013, the gamma probe will also be used to detect early tumours, a procedure which is enhanced through increased awareness and regular screening.
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