Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Docs vacuum out a tumour
Cancer patient awake during world first op
BRITISH surgeons have become the first in the world to vacuum out a breast cancer tumour.
The patient was given a local anaesthetic and remained conscious during the 30-minute procedure.
It involved inserting a needle into the breast and sucking away the malignant tissue with the help of ultrasound images.
Consultant radiologist Taghreed Toma, who led the pioneering operation at Southend Hospital, Essex, said: “Since 2005 I have been performing vacuum-assisted excision at the hospital, but only for benign lesions. As guidelines developed and improved to include other lesions, we felt the procedure was ideal for this particular case.
“The patient had a 5mm cancer and we didn’t want to risk general anaesthetic with her.” Dr Toma said the method was far less invasive than other types of surgery.
She added: “The patient could come to the clinic to have the procedure and be sent home in 30 minutes.”
Samuel James, clinical services manager at Southend Hospital, praised the work of Dr Toma.
He said: “She is always looking to improve patient pathways and treatment outcomes. I feel proud to work with such an excellent clinician. We are constantly looking at innovative new ways to improve patient care.”
Breast cancer is the most common form of the disease, with 55,000 cases diagnosed in the UK each year.