Laser Treatment May Replace Lumpectomy.

• Position: Brief Article

A new procedure that is undergoing tests at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, Ill., holds promise for eliminating the need for surgery in women with small breast cancers. It uses a laser delivered through a needle to destroy tumors detected by mammography.

Improvements in breast imaging have made it possible for doctors to find and diagnose breast cancer at a very early stage. "As more women take annual mammograms, we are able to detect these tumors when they are very small," explains Kambiz Dowlat, a surgeon at Rush. "We should therefore offer a treatment which is aesthetically more pleasing and yet equally effective as lumpectomy."

During the procedure, the patient lies face down on a stereotactic X-ray table, enabling the doctor to have precise visualization of the tumor. Under local anesthesia, the laser needle is inserted into the tumor and a second needle (thermometer) is placed next to it. Laser energy is then delivered through a thin fiber inside the laser needle until the temperature around the tumor reaches...