Breast cancer patients receiving treatment at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT) will be seen quicker thanks to a new piece of equipment made possible due to a £2m donation to the hospital’s charity ELHT&Me.
A Neoprobe Gamma Detection System (GDS), a handheld probe used during surgical procedures to allocate lymph nodes, has been gifted to the Theatre Team at Lancashire Women and
Newborn Centre, thanks to a generous donation from The Kay Family Foundation.
The £2m, which was announced by the Trust last November, has been distributed across numerous departments, enabling enhancements in patient care and cutting-edge technology that will have an impact for years to come.
Operating Theatre Manager Kayleigh Hayhurst, said: “We already had a GDS but by having a second one it gives us the opportunity to operate in theatres across both sites (Blackburn Royal Teaching Hospital and Burnley General Teaching Hospital) at the same time, allowing for more patients to be treated quicker which in turn will provide a better outcome and experience for them.
“By allowing us to diagnose the cancer and treat it sooner it’s not just physically important for the patient but psychologically too - being able to operate and remove the cancer, whilst sampling axillary lymph nodes (within the armpit), allows the patient to start their treatment plan and recovery as soon as possible. It's a huge relief for them.”
The GDS is used during breast cancer surgery to identify a patient’s sentinel lymph node or sometimes a group of nodes, to test whether there are any traces of the cancel spreading (to the axillary lymph nodes). Patients attend the radiology department prior to surgery for an injection of a radioactive isotope into the breast tissue. The isotope travels through the breast tissue, into the first lymph nodes (sentinel nodes) just as cancer cells would if they were spreading. During surgery the GDS probe is put into the axilla (armpit) by the surgeon and the axilla explored until it makes a high or low-pitched noise depending on the level of radioactivity detected. This helps to distinguish and identify a node or nodes which are sent for biopsy and the results will determine the next course of treatment for the patient.
Kayleigh added: “Having this additional GDS is amazing as we have the resources and ability to get through more procedures.
“From a staff point of view, it has given the team a huge lift too. It’s brilliant to have the tools and technology to run the department efficiently and provide a high level of care for patients across East Lancashire. To find out the machine was donated means the world to us, as we know someone has thought of us and the patients and that makes us feel eternally grateful.
“Waiting - whether that is for surgery or results - is the worst thing for our patients as their mind wanders and they end up thinking the worse, so anyway we can reduce that delay for them is wonderful to do.
“These ladies want a really smooth and efficient service, and this unbelievable gesture helps us to do that.”
The Theatre Team at Lancashire Women and Newborn Centre is based at Burnley General Teaching Hospital and has over 80 members of staff. Split into three areas they perform surgery for a variety of specialities but focus on women’s health such as breast surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology. On average, the team performs 20 surgical procedures per week on ladies (and some men) diagnosed with breast cancer.
The Kay Family Foundation is dedicated to supporting charities to improve people’s health and wellbeing, the relief of hardship and promoting community activities and conservation for the benefit of the people of East Lancashire.
If you would like to support the hospital charity through a donation or organising a fundraising event, please visit www.elhtandme.co.uk