Pathological researchers of Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University have successfully invented another innovation for assisting the treatment of breast cancer
Researchers from Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University come up with innovation to treat breast cancer through accurate biopsy analysis that will lead to more efficient treatment.
July 1, 2019
The problem in biopsy of a patient with breast cancer lied in immersion of the sample in a plastic bag filled with formalin before transferring to a laboratory for diagnosis. This could result in deformation of the biopsied sample and could affect the diagnosis. Now the Department of Pathology has come up with a new technique using a box that keeps the sample intact.
Doctors of Department of Pathology, Srinagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University have invented the “Patum Raksa” innovation that keeps breast cancer biopsy sample before accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Supinda Koonmee MD from Faculty of Medicine said that each day there are so many samples removed from the hospital, especially from breast cancer patients that await laboratory examination. There are now only 32 labs taking care of the breast cancer cell from all over the country out of more than 300 hospitals.
“There are of course certain limitations since there are samples from 300 hospitals flooding to 32 laboratories each day. Problems arise in transportation, biopsy errors that result in incomplete information. This obstructs analysis that leads to appropriate treatment.”
The “Patum Raksa” box is used to store the biopsy sample. Inside, there are compartments that enable infiltration of the solution into the sample to retain the cell condition. There is a chip attached outside the box to indicate the age of the sample, which must not exceed 732 hours.
Doctor Tanasak Nampon, a pathologist of Srinagarind Hospital said that good storage benefits the decision on treatment method. Nowadays, there is a lot of progress on the treatment and availability of medicine specific to cancerous cells.
“If there is a special and effective dyeing method, we can clearly indicate which type of cancer a patient has, or which degree. This will lead to precise treatment and benefits to the patient.”
Now, the “Patum Raksa” box has been used in 14 hospitals all over Thailand. After the use, the diagnosis has been more accurate and the patients could be appropriately treated with the right types of medicine, leading to a higher survival rate. In the future the research team hopes to extend the innovation into the analysis of breast cancer in order to assist the patients to lead better quality of life.
Thanks extended to Photos and News from ThaiPBS
