The Magseed and Magtrace pilot project are launching at Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Innovative breast cancer surgery system launching at Chinook Regional Hospital

Nov 28, 2025 | 11:16 AM

Southern Albertans with breast cancer will be able to get a much easier type of surgery.

Officials with the Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge have announced a partnership with Alberta Health Services to launch the three-year Magseed and Magtrace pilot project.

Using rice-sized magnetic markers called Magseeds, surgeons can accurately locate breast tumours or lymph nodes without traditional hook wires.

They can be placed days before surgery, so patients avoid protruding wires, the risk of displacement, and rushed same-day travel between imaging and surgery.

Hook wires have been the standard for locating abnormalities for decades, despite being uncomfortable, anxiety-inducing, and vulnerable to shifting during transport to surgery.

Nighttime construction on Hwy 3 in Lethbridge starts April 17

Apr 17, 2025

SASHA launches #BuyABed fundraiser to support vulnerable Lethbridge residents

Apr 04, 2025

$20K grants available: TELUS STORYHIVE Pan-Asian Edition opens applications April 1

Mar 18, 2025

Dr. Tony Gomes, General Surgeon at Chinook Regional Hospital, says the new method means fewer procedures, less pain, and a smoother overall experience.

“With Magseed and Magtrace, we can offer patients a less stressful, more precise, and more breast-preserving surgical experience. This technology gives us far more accuracy and far more comfort. It truly changes the journey,” says Gomes.

Lethbridge will be only the second city in Canada to offer Magseed and Magtrace operations, behind Calgary.

Crystal Elliott, CEO of the Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation, says the initiative has been made possible thanks to private donations.

“Because of the generosity of our donors, patients in southern Alberta can now access leading-edge breast cancer surgery close to home,” says Elliott. “Our community has made this possible, and this reflects exactly what philanthropy can do-change care, change experiences, and change outcomes.”

The first Magseed insertions at Chinook Regional Hospital have been scheduled for early December, with corresponding surgeries to follow shortly after.