Helping surgeons accurately locate breast tumours - Research • Breast Cancer Foundation NZ

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Helping surgeons accurately locate breast tumours

Professor Martyn Nash - University of Auckland's Bioengineering Institute
Professor Martyn Nash - University of Auckland's Bioengineering Institute
June 2017
Research Grant

What is the problem and who is affected?

Patients might have multiple imaging tests to diagnose and locate their breast cancer, e.g. ultrasound plus MRI plus CT scan. The position and shape of the breast changes in each test, so it’s often hard for surgeons to compare the tumour location across multiple tests to be sure they’ve removed every bit of the cancer.

What is this research hoping to achieve?

Auckland University’s Bioengineering Institute and a breast radiologist at Auckland Hospital have received a grant from BCFNZ to develop a biomechanical modelling tool that will calculate how an individual patient’s breast moves during different diagnostic procedures, and accurately show the surgeon the location of tumour cells so the cancer can be completely removed.