The MarginProbe® System: An Innovative Approach to Reduce the Incidence of Positive Margins Found After Lumpectomy

The goal of lumpectomy surgery for breast cancer is to completely remove the tumor and have clear margins, reducing the rates of local recurrence. The MarginProbe® System is a new device that can detect microscopic tumor cells at or close to the margin of the surgical resection intraoperatively, providing the surgeon with the ability to re-excise tissue at the time of surgery, reducing the need for a second surgery to obtain clear margins.

At a Glance

• Lumpectomy surgery followed by radiation is the recommended treatment for early-stage breast cancer; however, successful lumpectomy is contingent upon cancer-free surgical margins.
• Current standards of intraoperative margin assessments include visual inspection, palpation, and imaging techniques, which are all less than reliable.
• The MarginProbe® System, used during lumpectomy surgery, has been shown to reduce the need for a second surgery because of positive tumor margins.