Cutting edge technology employed at Danville Regional Medical Center allows patients with skin or breast cancer to undergo less invasive operations. By detecting the path cancer takes through the lymph nodes, the neo2000™ gamma detection system enables surgeons to remove fewer nodes before tumors spread through the body.

Pea-sized lymph nodes in the lymphatic system are filled with a clear fluid that fights infection. Fluid drains from tissue to a particular "sentinel" lymph node. If cancer reaches the lymphatic system, it could spread to the rest of the body. Without the neo2000™, finding the sentinel lymph node where cancer is most likely to spread first is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

To determine if cancer has spread to the lymphatic system, surgeons perform a sentinel lymph node biopsy. During the procedure, a radioactive substance and a blue dye are injected. "The device is like a Geiger counter," said Robert Honea, M.D., Chairman of the Department of Surgery at Danville Regional Medical Center. "It makes a sound as the probe detects radioactive fluid flowing to the sentinel lymph node. The blue dye helps us track the lymphatic fluids visually."

During a standard biopsy, 10 to 40 lymph nodes are removed. "When the pathologist examines the lymph nodes, it is not practical to slice through every node to look for a few cancer cells," said Randy Buckspan, M.D., a plastic surgeon. "The device enables us to remove only the sentinel node and makes it easier for the pathologist to find the cancer cells. If we can find cancer in the sentinel lymph node, we may do other treatments when necessary."

Removing fewer lymph nodes means the patient has a smaller scar, less swelling and experiences fewer complications associated with removing the infection-fighting lymph nodes. Although the sentinel lymph node biopsy procedure is still under study for breast cancer patients, it is currently being used to treat melanoma at Danville Regional Medical Center. Not only is this new equipment a much less invasive way to treat cancer, it also speeds the recovery process.