Dec. 4, 2000-- Doctors may be on the verge of one of the biggest breakthroughs in breast cancer surgery, and a Utah surgeon is helping lead the way. News Specialist Lisa Conley has more.

Doctor Dirk Noyes is busy taking calls from breast cancer patients and surgeons eager to take part in what could be a groundbreaking clinical trial.

Dr. Dirk Noyes: "ITS PROBABLY ONE OF THE FIRST MAJOR ADVANCMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF BREAST CANCER WE'VE HAD IN SEVERAL DECADES." The trial is studying a procedure called Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy. It involves a less invasive removal of just a few select lymph nodes from under the arm, rather than the standard procedure of removing all lymph nodes in the region.

"ITS A LESSER PROCEDURE IF WE ONLY HAVE TO TAKE A COUPLE LYMPH NODES OUT, AND YOU HAVE LESS CHANCE OF SWELLING OF THE ARM, LESS CHANCE FOR INFECTION LESS CHANCE FOR HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MOTION OF THE ARM, SENSORY CHANGES IN THE ARM. SO IT'S CERTAINLY A LESS INVASIVE PROCEDURE."

The surgeon injects the breast with a radioactive isotope and blue dye in order to properly identify the sentinel lymph nodes. These are the first nodes where cancer can be detected.

During the trial, researchers will look at how removing these lymph nodes affects survival time of patients and cancer recurrence.

This is a nationwide study, sponsored by the National Cancer Institute. So far, Utah is second in the nation for the number of people enrolled in this clinical trial.

Lisa Conley/Eyewitness News: "THE STUDY WILL BE ONGOING UNTIL THEY REACH THEIR GOAL OF ENROLLING MORE THAN 5,000 WOMEN NATIONWIDE. IN THE MEANTIME, DR. NOYES AND HIS STAFF HERE AT LDS HOSPITAL WILL BE LOOKING FOR SURGEONS TO PROPERLY TRAIN IN THE TECHNIQUE."

Dr. Noyes has already trained more than 40 surgeons nationwide including 20 here in Utah to perform the procedure. But, he says, more are needed.

If you're interested in being part of the study, call: