Home | A-Z | About us | News | Jobs | Travel & maps | Search | Contact | Calendar

News & events

Addenbrooke's leads new breast cancer technique

The Cambridge Breast Unit at Addenbrooke's has led the way in researching a new technique that significantly reduces the side effects of breast cancer surgery.

Usually women undergoing surgery for the disease have most of the lymph glands under their arms removed, to stage the tumour and gauge the need for drug treatment. But the procedure can lead to a range of side effects, such as shoulder stiffness, nerve-related pain and swelling of the arm.

Now an Addenbrookes led study in collaboration with Cancer Research UK and the University of Glasgow, whose principal investigator is Mr Arnie Purushotham based at the Cambridge Breast Unit, has published the most thorough results to date on an alternative technique called Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy (SLNB). The results show that the technique leads to significantly fewer side effects.

The new technique involves removing on average two lymph glands from the armpit and testing them for cancer cells. The procedure is designed to tell surgeons whether or not removing the remaining lymph glands – known as axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) – is necessary.

A number of studies have already shown that Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy is effective at picking up cancer cells in the armpit, and have indicated that it can reduce certain side effects. This is the first randomised controlled trial to yield such detailed data on the technique’s impact on side effects.

A total of 298 patients with early breast cancer from Addenbrooke’s, West Suffolk and Kings Lynn Hospitals took part in the trial, half of whom had standard surgery and half were treated with the new technique.

Mr Arnie Purushotham says: “Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy is becoming more widely available in the UK. This study provides the most detailed information to date on the technique’s benefits with regard to side effects.

“We have measured psychological wellbeing and quality of life factors as well as physical side effects. It is very important to measure such factors, as cancer treatment can impact so heavily on the patient as a whole.

“We are very grateful to the patients who agreed to participate in this trial. Their contribution has been invaluable.”

Professor John Toy, Cancer Research UK’s Medical Director, says: “The results of this trial are very promising. They show that Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy can greatly reduce the number of women who experience side effects after surgery for breast cancer”.

July 2005

For further press/media information contact: PR & Communications Department, Box 53, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ; Tel: 01223 274 433; Fax: 01223 257 143; Minicom: 01223 274 604.