A HOSPITAL in the North-East is the first in the UK to offer a new technique which increases the accuracy of breast surgery.

The pioneering new approach offered at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary is called Radioactive Seed Localisation.

During the treatment - which is only offered by a handful of hospitals worldwide, a specialist radiologist, using ultrasound as a guide, inserts a tiny, very low dose radioactive ‘seed’ into the tumour to be surgically treated.

The seed – about the size of a grain of rice – serves as a beacon during the surgery, guiding the surgeon to the exact location of the cancer.

Mr Nader Khonji, consultant breast surgeon explains: “Traditionally we use a wire which is inserted on the day of surgery, next to the cancer in the breast, using ultrasound or mammography as a guide. It can be difficult to know the precise position of the tip of the wire. This can result in more tissue being removed from the breast, or in the tissue removed having close edges to the cancer, with a repeat operation being required. It can also be quite stressful for patients to have this procedure just before their operation.”

Consultant radiologist Dr Nidhi Sibal, said: “During the operation, the urgeon uses a hand-held probe – a bit like a small Geiger counter – to locate the exact spot where the seed is.”

Over the next few months, the Newcastle Hospitals hope to phase out the use of wires for the majority of cases in favour of this new approach.

Last year, Newcastle Hospitals screened nearly 38,000 women and picked up 350 cancers. Without routine screening, many of these cancers would not have been discovered.

Experts stress that early detection is essential so that doctors can start the most effective treatment, as quickly as possible.