When Melanie Humbree learned she had breast cancer, she had no doubt she was going to survive.
“I know there’s been so many advances in surgery for breast cancer that I felt confident,” said Humbree.
Melanie’s diagnosis came only a few months after her daughter, Michelle Kahn, completed her surgery and chemotherapy for the very same disease. But while both women shared the same diagnosis, their treatment would be very different.
Michelle and her physician opted for a complete mastectomy. Michelle was worried about not getting all the cancer, disfigurement to her breast, and possibly needing another surgery if her doctor failed to remove the entire tumor. And while she is happy to be in remission, it wasn’t an easy process.
"I didn’t want my mom to go through what I went through," explained Michelle.
She didn’t. Melanie was able to undergo a less invasive lumpectomy. That’s because her surgeon, Dr. Michele Carpenter, program director of the Breast Program at St.Joseph Hospital in Orange, used a device called the MarginProbe. It’s a new technology that can help a surgeon remove a tumor without leaving any cancer behind. After Carpenter removes the tumor, she uses the probe to test the sides of the tissue.
"The MarginProbe sends a signal into the tissue and it takes the signal back. The cells that are cancerous give a different signal than the cells that are normal," Carpenter said.
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One beep means there is still some cancer. Two beeps means she got it all. If there is some left on the tumor, there may be some left inside Melanie so Dr. Carpeneter removes a little more tissue to be safe.
"By using this probe, we’re able to get all of the tumor and not take too much breast tissue and to hopefully avoid another operation," Carpeneter said.
That’s a big benefit for many women, including Melanie, who can keep their breast and hopefully avoid any more surgeries.
“I’d be very happy if I didn’t have to go for another surgery,” explained Melanie.
