ADVANCE PREPARATION You can inject RFID tags into breast tumors up to 30 days before surgery.
We use Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags to mark non-palpable breast tumors. Because the capsule does not migrate, you can inject it up to 30 days before surgery. The technique is simple: a radiologist injects the RFID capsule into the tumor within the breast tissue under fluoroscopy — it's similar to how they microchip your pets. The patient goes home soon afterwards. Patients much prefer the RFID tag to wire needle localization, in which a wire protrudes out of the breast.
Kristine Alessandrini, BSN, RN, CNOR
UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center
Los Angeles, Calif.
kaless@mednet.ucla.edu
