The Magseed® Marker and Magtrace® Tracer

At New Victoria Hospital, our Private Breast Clinic specialises in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of Breast Cancer. Part of a multidisciplinary Breast Team, our Breast Consultants are renowned for their approach to Breast Cancer, offering the latest treatments and the highest standards of care.

Key to the successful treatment of Breast Cancer is identifying its presence at an early stage and having a full understanding of its severity. With access to the latest diagnostic equipment and a state-of-the-art imaging suite, our Breast Cancer specialists are able to provide every patient with a swift and comprehensive cancer diagnosis.

Two cutting-edge treatment intervention tests we now offer to localise the presence of Breast Cancer in a patient are the Magseed® Marker to identify the cancer, and the Magtrace® Lymphatic Tracer that identifies the predominant draining axillary lymph nodes that require surgical removal and assessments for the local spread of breast cancer cells.

Magseed® Marker

The Magseed® Marker is a tiny magnetic seed (the size of a grain of rice) that helps accurately mark the location of a cancer that cannot be felt within the breast. This enables more flexible and precise cancer localisation during surgical removal. The seed is inactive when placed within the breast and only becomes detectable when the Sentimag® Probe passes over it during surgery

The seed will be placed in the breast by a Radiologist prior to surgery, and once implanted, it can’t be dislodged. Some of the benefits to the Magseed® Marker:

It is less intrusive than the previously used guide-wire, and can be inserted at any time before the date of surgery.
Once implanted, you can proceed to surgery at any time.
The Sentimag® Probe, enables the Breast Surgeon to more accurately locate the cancer allowing less dissection and trauma to surrounding breast tissues.

Magtrace® Lymphatic Tracer

The Magtrace® Lymphatic Tracer is a liquid tracer containing iron filings used specifically to localise the dominant draining axillary lymph nodes called sentinel lymph nodes. This is a non-radioactive tracer that is designed to follow the same path an invading cancer cell would take through the lymphatic system. The predominant draining lymph nodes are detected using a Magnetic probe that directs the Breast Surgeon to the first draining lymph nodes most likely to contain cancer if invasion into the lymphatic system has occurred. In turn, this allows the determination of whether the cancer has spread.

Some of the benefits of the Magtrace® Lymphatic Tracer:

It is simple and non-invasive, as only one injection is required in a clinical setting under a local anaesthetic to ensure complete comfort.
It is a highly versatile liquid that can be injected into the breast either 20 minutes prior to surgery, or up to 7 days prior to surgery.
The liquid is optimised to specifically identify the predominant draining axillary lymph nodes providing a clear identification of which lymph nodes to remove for cancer testing.
The liquid is non-radioactive and non-toxic which means it is safer than alternatives such as blue dye.

Magseed® and Magtrace® Markers at New Victoria Hospital

Having access to the Magseed® Marker and Magtrace® Lymphatic Tracer technologies, ensures our multidisciplinary Breast Team provides an industry-leading standard of Breast Cancer diagnosis and treatment.

We understand that any cancer-related treatments cause anxiety and worry. Our experienced Breast Cancer specialists will therefore provide you with the emotional support and guidance you need throughout your stay at our hospital.

Magseed® and Magtrace® treatments are covered by the major insurance companies. Self-Pay patients are also accepted.

For more information on the Magseed® and Magtrace® Markers, or the other Breast Cancer treatments we provide, please call us on 020 8949 9020 or fill out our online form. Our dedicated Outpatient Team will work to find you an appointment with a Breast Consultant at a convenient time on the earliest possible date.