Scout Wire-free Radar Localization System
Making Breast Cancer Surgery Easier For Women
In seeking a more compassionate and precise approach to breast cancer tumor localization, Placentia-Linda Hospital has adopted the SCOUT® wire-free radar localization system during breast conserving surgeries. Radar has been used for decades when precision is vital to success. It is an efficient and precise approach to localization and surgical guidance and helps surgeons remove cancerous tissue with greater confidence.
Prior to SCOUT, the most common approach for localizing breast tumors was wire localization. With wire localization, a radiologist would place a thin, hooked wire through the skin to the tumor location. The surgeon would then use the wire to locate the tumor for removal. This procedure would be done on the day of surgery; because the time between the wire placement and surgery can be several hours, this added procedure can be the cause of added worry, discomfort and a long day or surgery for patients.
The SCOUT Wire-Free Radar Localization system is FDA cleared. The system uses a zero-radiation approach to localizing breast tumors, biopsy sites and lymph nodes and has been clinically proven in multiple studies. SCOUT uses a unique radar signal to detect a tiny reflector—the size of a grain of rice—that can be placed at any time during the course of treatment and at the patients’ convenience. During the surgical procedure, the surgeon scans the breast using the SCOUT Guide to precisely and efficiently locate the reflector to within 1 mm of accuracy.
The ability to precisely locate tumors increases the probability of complete cancer removal and reduces the likelihood of needing follow-up surgeries—a huge advantage for early-state breast cancer patients. In addition, the ability to strategically plan the incision may result in better cosmetic outcomes. SCOUT is also used to effectively localize lymph nodes prior to neoadjuvant therapy and can be used with any type of imaging over the course of a patient’s care.
