Impalpable Breast Cancer and Service Delivery during the COVID-19 Pandemic: the Role of Radiofrequency Tag localization

Jonathan Strickland; Beatrix Elsberger; Gerald Lip; Mairi Fuller; Yazan A. Masannat

doi:10.32768/abc.202183247-250

Impalpable Breast Cancer and Service Delivery during the COVID-19 Pandemic: the Role of Radiofrequency Tag localization

Jonathan Strickland
, Beatrix Elsberger
, Gerald Lip
, Mairi Fuller
, Yazan A. Masannat^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Aberdeen Royal Infirmary

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

9 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Background: Radiofrequency tags are used to localize breast lesions for surgery. During the Covid-19 pandemic, these offered the flexibility of inserting the Tags days or weeks before surgery. This made logistics of planning theatres lists easier, especially with most of the lists having been moved off site.

Methods: In the 7 weeks following the first lockdown in the UK, we reviewed all planned admissions for breast surgery looking at the types of surgery offered, type of localization used and assessed which cases would not have been able to go ahead had radiofrequency tags not been available.

Results: Out of 85 planned admission, 83 had surgery, 11 were for re-excision of margins and 72 for their first breast surgery excision (mastectomy or breast conservation). Out of the 54 that had breast conserving surgery, 40 needed localization, out of whom 27 had radiofrequency tags. Looking at theatre order list and location of surgery, 20 out of the 27 would not have had their surgery had radiofrequency tags not been available, which is 50% of the patients needing localization.

Conclusion: Radiofrequency tags are new devices used for breast lesion localization that offer a much-needed flexibility especially as seen during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	247-250
Number of pages	4
Journal	Archives of Breast Cancer
Volume	8
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.32768/abc.202183247-250
Publication status	Published - Aug 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank Friends of Anchor for their generous grant that enabled the trial of RF tags in Aberdeen, and all the staff in the Unit at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and BMI Albyn Hospital for making this possible.

Funding

The authors would like to thank Friends of Anchor for their generous grant that enabled the trial of RF tags in Aberdeen, and all the staff in the Unit at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and BMI Albyn Hospital for making this possible.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Keywords

Breast cancer
breast surgery
Covid-19
radiofrequency tag

Access to Document

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Cite this

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title = "Impalpable Breast Cancer and Service Delivery during the COVID-19 Pandemic: the Role of Radiofrequency Tag localization",

abstract = "Background: Radiofrequency tags are used to localize breast lesions for surgery. During the Covid-19 pandemic, these offered the flexibility of inserting the Tags days or weeks before surgery. This made logistics of planning theatres lists easier, especially with most of the lists having been moved off site. Methods: In the 7 weeks following the first lockdown in the UK, we reviewed all planned admissions for breast surgery looking at the types of surgery offered, type of localization used and assessed which cases would not have been able to go ahead had radiofrequency tags not been available. Results: Out of 85 planned admission, 83 had surgery, 11 were for re-excision of margins and 72 for their first breast surgery excision (mastectomy or breast conservation). Out of the 54 that had breast conserving surgery, 40 needed localization, out of whom 27 had radiofrequency tags. Looking at theatre order list and location of surgery, 20 out of the 27 would not have had their surgery had radiofrequency tags not been available, which is 50\% of the patients needing localization. Conclusion: Radiofrequency tags are new devices used for breast lesion localization that offer a much-needed flexibility especially as seen during the Covid-19 pandemic.",

keywords = "Breast cancer, breast surgery, Covid-19, radiofrequency tag",

author = "Jonathan Strickland and Beatrix Elsberger and Gerald Lip and Mairi Fuller and Masannat, \{Yazan A.\}",

note = "Funding Information: The authors would like to thank Friends of Anchor for their generous grant that enabled the trial of RF tags in Aberdeen, and all the staff in the Unit at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and BMI Albyn Hospital for making this possible. ",

year = "2021",

month = aug,

doi = "10.32768/abc.202183247-250",

language = "English",

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AU - Fuller, Mairi

AU - Masannat, Yazan A.

N1 - Funding Information: The authors would like to thank Friends of Anchor for their generous grant that enabled the trial of RF tags in Aberdeen, and all the staff in the Unit at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and BMI Albyn Hospital for making this possible.

PY - 2021/8

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N2 - Background: Radiofrequency tags are used to localize breast lesions for surgery. During the Covid-19 pandemic, these offered the flexibility of inserting the Tags days or weeks before surgery. This made logistics of planning theatres lists easier, especially with most of the lists having been moved off site. Methods: In the 7 weeks following the first lockdown in the UK, we reviewed all planned admissions for breast surgery looking at the types of surgery offered, type of localization used and assessed which cases would not have been able to go ahead had radiofrequency tags not been available. Results: Out of 85 planned admission, 83 had surgery, 11 were for re-excision of margins and 72 for their first breast surgery excision (mastectomy or breast conservation). Out of the 54 that had breast conserving surgery, 40 needed localization, out of whom 27 had radiofrequency tags. Looking at theatre order list and location of surgery, 20 out of the 27 would not have had their surgery had radiofrequency tags not been available, which is 50% of the patients needing localization. Conclusion: Radiofrequency tags are new devices used for breast lesion localization that offer a much-needed flexibility especially as seen during the Covid-19 pandemic.

AB - Background: Radiofrequency tags are used to localize breast lesions for surgery. During the Covid-19 pandemic, these offered the flexibility of inserting the Tags days or weeks before surgery. This made logistics of planning theatres lists easier, especially with most of the lists having been moved off site. Methods: In the 7 weeks following the first lockdown in the UK, we reviewed all planned admissions for breast surgery looking at the types of surgery offered, type of localization used and assessed which cases would not have been able to go ahead had radiofrequency tags not been available. Results: Out of 85 planned admission, 83 had surgery, 11 were for re-excision of margins and 72 for their first breast surgery excision (mastectomy or breast conservation). Out of the 54 that had breast conserving surgery, 40 needed localization, out of whom 27 had radiofrequency tags. Looking at theatre order list and location of surgery, 20 out of the 27 would not have had their surgery had radiofrequency tags not been available, which is 50% of the patients needing localization. Conclusion: Radiofrequency tags are new devices used for breast lesion localization that offer a much-needed flexibility especially as seen during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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KW - Covid-19

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Impalpable Breast Cancer and Service Delivery during the COVID-19 Pandemic: the Role of Radiofrequency Tag localization

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

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