Breast cancer diagnosis and treatment technology — Numarak Hospital, Bangkok.
Numarak Hospital is Thailand's first private specialized breast cancer hospital. Located on Phetchaburi Road, Bangkok, it boasts comprehensive medical technology for both diagnosis and treatment, ranging from 3D Digital Tomosynthesis Mammogram, Automated Breast Ultrasound (ABUS), AI-assisted imaging, to IORT (Intraoperative Radiation Therapy), Cryoablation, ICG Fluorescence Camera, and SCOUT® Radar Localization — ensuring all breast cancer patients receive accurate, safe care and enjoy the best possible quality of life.
Breast cancer diagnostic technology (Diagnostic Technology)
3D Mammogram (Digital Tomosynthesis) — Breast Cancer Screening
Mammogram 3D Digital Tomosynthesis is a 3D digital breast X-ray system.
This provides higher resolution and sharper images of the breast than traditional 2D mammograms, allowing for the detection of abnormalities in their early stages, even in women with dense breast tissue.
Advantages of 3D Mammograms:
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Increased diagnostic accuracy: Up to 25% more breast cancers can be detected compared to 2D mammograms.
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Reduce unnecessary additional testing: This can help reduce the rate of recalls by up to 15%.
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Provides sharp and detailed images: Helps radiologists see abnormalities more clearly.
2. Automate Ultrasound (ABUS)
Automate Ultrasound (ABUS) is an automated breast ultrasound machine that uses 3D scanning technology to create complete and comprehensive breast images. It is ideal for those with dense breast tissue, which may not be adequate for screening with mammography alone.
Benefits of ABUS:
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Improve screening efficiency: Helps increase breast cancer detection rates in women with dense breast tissue.
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Provides a comprehensive image: The entire breast can be scanned at once.
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Reduce inspection errors: It is a standardized inspection and reduces the variability between inspectors.
High-definition ultrasound (US)
Ultrasound (US) is a diagnostic test that uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of internal organs. It is a safe, radiation-free test and can be used on patients of all ages.
Benefits of Ultrasound:
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Safe: No radiation is used, so it can be used by pregnant women and children.
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Provides real-time imaging: Allows for real-time visualization of various organ functions.
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Used for navigation: Can be used as a navigation tool during biopsy or other surgical procedures.
AI reads mammogram and ultrasound results — Artificial intelligence increases accuracy.
Numarak Hospital has implemented Artificial Intelligence (AI) to assist radiologists in interpreting mammograms and breast ultrasounds. The AI acts like a "second eye," analyzing images and detecting abnormalities that might otherwise be overlooked.
Advantages of AI:
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Improved diagnostic accuracy: Helps reduce errors in interpreting results and increases the rate of cancer detection.
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Speeds up diagnosis: Allows radiologists to read results more quickly.
Increased confidence in diagnosis: Helps radiologists feel more confident in their diagnosis.
Treatment Tools
IORT (Intraoperative Radiation Therapy)
IORT stands for Intraoperative Radiation Therapy . It is a high-intensity radiation therapy technology that can be administered in a single session during surgery. It is suitable for patients with early-stage breast cancer who require treatment in conjunction with breast-conserving surgery.
Advantages of IORT:
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Reduced treatment duration: Patients no longer need to travel for multiple radiation treatments.
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Minimizing side effects: Radiation is directed straight to the cancerous area, minimizing impact on surrounding normal tissue.
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Increased accuracy: Doctors can clearly see and target radiation therapy.
2. ICG Fluorescence Camera
The ICG Fluorescence Camera is an infrared fluorescence camera that uses indocyanine green (ICG) dye.
To help surgeons clearly see the lymphatic system and blood vessels during surgery.
Benefits of ICG Fluorescence Camera:
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Reduces the risk of arm swelling: Helps surgeons identify and avoid unnecessary lymph node removal.
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Improves surgical safety: Provides clearer visibility of blood vessels and other vital organs.
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Improved treatment efficiency: Helps to make surgery more precise and complete.
VAE, VAB (Vacuum Assisted Excision/Biopsy) - Minimally invasive breast tumor surgery.
VAE and VAB refer to vacuum-assisted breast biopsy. These are highly accurate biopsy methods that create small incisions, making them suitable for cases where breast abnormalities are found and a tissue sample is needed for diagnostic examination.
Advantages of VAE/VAB:
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Minimally invasive, painless: This involves obtaining a tissue sample through the skin without surgery.
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High accuracy: Sufficient tissue samples can be collected for diagnosis.
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Rapid recovery: Patients can return to their normal daily lives in a short time.
Cryoablation — Treating breast tumors with extreme cold without surgery.
Cryoablation is a non-surgical tumor treatment that uses extreme cold. A small needle is inserted into the tumor and delivers intense cold to destroy cancer cells. This treatment is suitable for patients who cannot undergo surgery or have small tumors.
Advantages of Cryoablation:
No surgery required: This is a minimally invasive treatment.
Less pain, faster recovery: Patients can go home the same day as treatment.
Minimal side effects: Minimal impact on surrounding normal tissues.
X-ray Specimen
An X-ray specimen is an image of a tissue sample removed during surgery to ensure that the entire cancerous tumor has been removed, which helps reduce the chance of recurrence.
Benefits of X-ray Specimen:
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Increased confidence in surgery: Helps assure surgeons that all cancerous tumors have been removed.
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Reduce repeat surgeries: Helps reduce the need for further surgery to remove additional tissue samples.
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Enhance treatment effectiveness: Helps to make the treatment as complete and efficient as possible.
SCOUT® Radar — Locate tumors with millimeter-precision wireless radar.
SCOUT® Radar is a wireless radar-based breast lump location system, the latest innovation replacing traditional wire localization. It is used for cases where abnormalities or lumps in the breast are found to be too small to be felt by palpation.
This technology allows surgeons to precisely locate the tumor to be removed, down to the millimeter. A tiny, rice-grain-sized reflector is implanted into the tumor before surgery, and in the operating room, the surgeon uses a handheld guide to easily and accurately pinpoint the reflector's location.
6. SCOUT® Radar Localization System
SCOUT® Radar is a wireless radar-based breast lump locating system , the latest innovation replacing traditional wire localization. It is used in cases where abnormalities or lumps in the breast are too small to be felt.
This technology allows surgeons to locate the tumor to be operated on with millimeter-level precision. The surgeon implants a small reflector the size of a grain of rice into the tumor before surgery. In the operating room, the surgeon uses a handheld guide to easily and accurately locate the reflector.
Advantages of SCOUT® Radar:
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High accuracy: Helps surgeons perform precise surgery, reducing unnecessary dissection of surrounding healthy tissue.
and helps to preserve the shape of the breast as much as possible (Breast Conserving Surgery) -
Increased patient comfort: Patients can have their echocardiogram implanted several days before surgery without any protrusion of the body like with traditional wires, allowing them to resume their normal daily activities and reduce pain and anxiety before surgery.
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Reduced time on the day of surgery: Eliminating the time required to insert a locating wire on the day of surgery makes the overall process faster.
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Safe and Radiation-Free: The reflector and detection system works using safe radar technology, no radiation is used for positioning.
