The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval for the magtrace and sentimag magnetic localization system (endomagnetics), a magnetic device system for guiding lymph node biopsies in patients with breast cancer undergoing mastectomy. It is called the sentimag system, it uses magnetic detection during lymph node biopsy to identify sentinel lymph nodes for surgical removal. The director of the Division of Surgical Devices in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) said sentinel lymph node biopsies are crucial for determining whether a patient's breast cancer has spread and helping the provider determine the most appropriate course of treatment.
Currently, a sentinel lymph node biopsy is performed after injection of radioactive materials or blue dye. This magnetic system will offer patients undergoing mastectomy an option for their sentinel lymph biopsy…
