Research / Clinical
Summary
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Diseases/Research Topics
Array Detectors, Breast Cancer, Cancer, Microfabrication Tools, Nanotechnology
Dr. Kummel's group is using nanotechnology and microfabrication techniques to develop array detectors for breast cancer cells.
Breast conservation treatment is considered standard of care in the treatment of breast cancer. The main problem in performing a localized resection of the tumor -- as opposed to removing the entire breast -- is the difficulty in achieving a negative margin resection for localized excision. Studies have shown positive margin rates of 25-50% because there are no reliable methods of determining the margin status during the initial procedure. Consequently, patients suffer both the emotional and physical distress of having to undergo a second operation, possible delay in adjuvant treatment, and an increase in wound infection rate.
The goal of his research is to develop a rapid and inexpensive method to distinguish malignant from benign breast cells in order to directly test the surgical margins in the operating room for the presence of cancer cells. His group is developing a prototype method to prove the diagnostic concept prior to developing an automated instrument. They are also developing a new technique to identify atypia cells for women undergoing a unilateral partial mastectomy in the second breast.
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