OhioHealth is the First in Columbus to Offer Breast Cancer Patients the Opportunity to Avoid Unnecessary Surgery with Magtrace®

OhioHealth now offers breast cancer patients access to a groundbreaking surgical technique, which could spare them an invasive axillary procedure.

It is called ‘delayed’ sentinel lymph node biopsy, and is only possible to perform with Magtrace^®, the world’s first non-radioactive, dual-tracer breast cancer staging technology. The technique gives physicians the opportunity to delay the surgery often used to assess the spread of breast cancer until they know it is needed, and spare surgery altogether for those who do not. 

For patients with early-stage cancer - often referred to as DCIS or Stage 0 - the likelihood of their cancer having spread to other parts of the body can be low. Globally-recognized clinical studies, such as the 2023 SentiNOT study, have shown that up to 80% of these patients, will not have an invasive cancer, so there would be no benefit to performing axillary surgery.

The previous standard of treatment, which is still widely used across the U.S., involves removing not only the area of DCIS, but also underarm lymph nodes for further analysis, as a precautionary measure. The downsides to receiving this additional surgery can be significant, with common side effects including lymphedema, a condition which can cause long-term swelling and pain.

“Cancer patients often go through so much stress in terms of surgeries, appointments and the general unknown,” said Deepa Halaharvi, DO, OhioHealth breast and cancer surgeon. “Anytime we can ease their journey in any way and potentially avoid a surgery is going to be a benefit to the patient and help them avoid that recovery and side effects, when possible.

The lymph node biopsy that Magtrace^® offers is performed by injecting Magtrace^® into the breast at the time of mastectomy to remove the DCIS. The tracer, made from iron oxide particles, then migrates to the underarm, where it will remain for as long as the surgeon needs, marking the nodes most likely to contain cancer if it has spread.

The DCIS is then analysed by pathology for any presence of an invasive component. If it is found to be invasive, the lymph nodes will still be marked with the Magtrace^® meaning the patient can be scheduled to return for underarm surgery to confirm if the cancer requires upstaging. However, for roughly 80% of patients’ pathology will show that no further surgery is needed.

Sentimag® Available for Surgical Guidance

If additional surgery is needed, however, OhioHealth patients now have access to the latest advancements in breast cancer surgical guidance, thanks to the introduction of the new Sentimag® localization platform.

Used to accurately identify tumors and assess the spread of cancer beyond the breast, the new Sentimag® allows surgeons to more easily identify and remove cancerous tissue. 

OhioHealth is among the first in the U.S. to utilize this new system and the enhanced precision it brings.  This technology is currently available to patients at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, OhioHealth Grant Medical Center and OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital.

“This technology is beneficial to both the patient and us as surgeons,” said Dr. Halaharvi.  “It allows us to more accurately identify tumors and how the cancer has spread, while the slimmer probe allows us to make a smaller incision, creating a better long-term cosmetic outcome for the patient.”

Using the new Sentimag® probe, OhioHealth physicians can detect the magnetic signal emitted by the Magtrace, through visual guidance and audio feedback, which guides them towards the target to excise the suspicious lymph nodes for further analysis. 

Notes for Reporters

• In December 2022, Magtrace® was FDA Approved for use in all breast cancer staging procedures.
• The SentiNOT (2023) study demonstrates the efficacy of ‘delayed’ sentinel lymph node biopsy, with 78.7% of the 250+ patients featured avoiding axillary surgery.
• The 'SaveOurNodes’ campaign aims to increase awareness of this technique, and has been endorsed by patient organizations including Breast360 and the Breast Advocate App.
• The new Sentimag represents the next generation of breast localization, building on the strengths of the original Sentimag. Like its predecessor, the new platform pairs with the Magseed® marker (FDA approved in 2017) and the Magtrace® lymphatic tracer (FDA approved in 2018) to improve surgical outcomes and the patient experience. 
• Magtrace® has been tested and proven across more than 10,000 patients in 100+ published clinical studies. 
• The Sentimag®, Magseed® and Magtrace® technologies are manufactured by Endomag, now part of Hologic.  

 About OhioHealth   

Based in Columbus, Ohio, OhioHealth is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit, charitable, healthcare outreach of the United Methodist Church.

Serving its communities since 1891, OhioHealth is a family of 35,000 associates, physicians and volunteers, and a network of 15 hospitals, three joint-venture hospitals, one managed-affiliate hospital, 200+ ambulatory sites and other health services spanning a 50-county area. For more information, visit ohiohealth.com. 

About Magtrace

• Magtrace has been widely proven to be clinically non-inferior to the combined gold-standard of Radioisotope and Blue Dye. It has been used in over 185,000 surgical procedures worldwide.
• It can be injected weeks ahead of surgery or in the operating room when the patient is under anesthetic, providing more flexibility around when the surgery takes place.
• Magtrace is simple to store - any US hospital can use it regardless of location, size or facilities.
• It’s the only solution to offer ‘delayed’ sentinel lymph node biopsy procedure, which can spare up to 80% of high-risk DCIS patients an unnecessary surgical procedure they’d otherwise receive.
• Hundreds of physicians across the US are now using Magtrace for use in standard sentinel lymph node biopsy procedures.

About Endomag

Endomag believes everyone deserves a better standard of cancer care. Their magnetic technologies are designed with both the clinician and patient in mind. Many leading hospitals across the world use the Sentimag® platform to help breast cancer patients avoid surgery when it isn’t needed, and experience better outcomes when it is.

The Sentimag® features a probe which works like a metal detector. When it is placed near the skin’s surface, it can detect Endomag’s magnetic seed marker (Magseed®) and liquid tracer (Magtrace®), for accurate lesion localization and sentinel lymph node biopsy procedures.

Endomag’s technologies have already helped over 500,000 women worldwide to access more precise, and minimally invasive breast cancer treatment.

For further information on Endomag’s technologies, contact:

Mary Nicholls - Communications Executive, Endomag

mnicholls@endomag.com