Radar precision arrives at Noosa Hospital

Noosa Hospital is offering Sunshine Coast breast cancer patients more advanced care closer to home thanks to the arrival of radar-based technology.

Breast and endocrine surgeon Dr Felicity Adams said the Ramsay Health Care facility's new SCOUT system would significantly lift the standard of treatment available to local patients.

"It is designed to help a surgeon more precisely locate tumours," she said.

"A tiny device, the size of a grain of rice, called a reflector is placed within the target tissue prior to surgery – possibly weeks in advance."

The wireless SCOUT system replaces the traditional method of inserting a wire prior to surgery, allowing more precise procedures and faster recovery times.

"During the surgery, the surgeon uses a probe which can detect the reflector with millimetre accuracy, providing real-time distance measurements," Dr Adams said.

"The system is designed to remove tumours precisely, while helping to preserve as much healthy tissue as possible."

Dr Adams said it was "incredibly rewarding" to be able to offer local patients treatment with the technology.

"It's more convenient and cheaper for my patients and can significantly reduce the physical and emotional strain of long-distance travel if you're sick," she said.

Noosa Hospital CEO Dr Karl van der Merwe said he hoped the SCOUT technology would make treatment a little easier for breast cancer patients.

"Ramsay Health Care and Noosa Hospital want to want to give our community access to the best care and latest technology so patients have a better experience and better outcomes," he said.

Read more: Hospitals share new breast cancer radar for patients' sake

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