The Nation - News from Nov. 30, 1987

Uncomplicated breast cancers can be removed in less than 20 minutes using a new surgical technique that employs portable sonar devices emitting ultrasound to pinpoint tumors and guide their excision, researchers reported. The outpatient procedure can simplify surgery and reduce anxiety for hundreds of thousands of women who undergo biopsies every year when lumps are detected in their breasts, said Dr. Matthew Rifkin, professor of radiology and urology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. Rifkin, speaking to a national meeting of radiologists in Chicago, said the sonar-guided tumor removal has been tested on 95 patients with excellent results.