Prof. Masujiro Makita, Head of the Department of Breast Surgery at Nippon Medical School Hospital, elaborates on his experience using TAKUMI in his numerous clinical trials:
“I was very intrigued to test how sentinel lymph node biopsy using TAKUMI in conjunction with Ferucarbotran (Resovist®), a superparamagnetic iron oxide contrast agent, would fare against the traditional radioisotope method.
From July 2016 to November 2018, I conducted 180 clinical trials on primary breast cancer patients and the results were impressive: out of the 180 cases, TAKUMI and the magnetic fluid injected achieved a 100% identification rate (180/180), whereas the radioisotope method scored 97% (175/180 cases). What is more, 11 out of 48 (23%) metastatic-positive SLN remained undetected with the RI method, but were successfully identified using TAKUMI.
I experimented with divergent variables, such as the amount of magnetic fluid injected as well as the timing of magnetic induction, of which the most promising approach proved to be the following:
- Subcutaneous injection of 0.5 ml Ferucarbotran into the breast after general anesthesia, allowing the magnetic fluid to travel through the lymph vessels for about 30 minutes, without massaging the tissue
- Without touching the skin surface, reciprocation of the neodymium magnet (built into TAKUMI’s probe head) between the injection site and axilla for 1 minute, immediately before making the incision
This technique maximized the accumulation of magnetic nanoparticles in SLN and prevented diffusion of the fluid at the injection site.
I conclude that the magnetic method is a viable solution for accurate sentinel lymph node biopsy. It is minimally invasive, radiation-free and the whole procedure is painless for patients. Not being dependent on specific facilities is also a very important factor.”
Matrix Cell Research Institute Inc. would like to thank Prof. Makita for his extensive research and support, and for taking the time to share his impressions on the application of TAKUMI.