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ROLLA – SUMMER 2007 - More and more women with early-stage breast cancer are able to treat their cancer effectively and preserve their breasts through an option called breast conservation therapy. This treatment includes the removal of the cancerous tumor through a procedure called a lumpectomy. The lumpectomy is generally followed by seven weeks of whole breast external beam radiation therapy. This combination of surgery and radiation works well to prevent recurrence of the tumor. However, some patients find it hard to complete almost two months of radiation therapy, as it may be difficult to take time from work or other responsibilities, or treatment centers may be far from home. Surgeons and oncologists at Phelps County Regional Medical Center want to offer women a possible solution – and the ability to make treatment decisions based on desired outcome, not on travel time and expense. They now offer MammoSite® 5-day Targeted Radiation Therapy. MammoSite® makes it easier for women to choose breast conservation therapy because it reduces radiation treatment from seven weeks to a matter of five days. MammoSite® was approved by the FDA in May 2002, and is a unique form of brachytherapy that uses a balloon catheter to deliver radiation internally, directly to the site of the tumor, where the likelihood of recurrence is greatest. "More than 20 years have passed since the early breast conservation trials," said Dr. Mary Graham, radiation oncologist at PCRMC. "We know that breast conservation is a treatment of choice. Most women would prefer breast conservation instead of a mastectomy." Many early stage breast cancer patients choose to have a mastectomy, but a growing number are opting for a less invasive course of treatment. This approach, called breast conservation therapy (BRT), usually involves tumor excision via lumpectomy, followed by radiation therapy to reduce the likelihood of recurrence. Although breast conservation therapy allows a woman to save her breast, 50 percent of patients with early stage breast cancer still choose to have a mastectomy, despite comparable long-term recurrence and survival rates. According to a National Cancer Institute study, an estimated 25 percent of lumpectomy patients don’t receive any follow-up radiation treatment, with the chances of forgoing this therapy increasing the farther away a woman lives from a radiation treatment center. Because of the less-invasive nature and short duration of the treatment, MammoSite® could make it easier for more women to consider the choice of lumpectomy and provides physicians with an important new tool for the practice of breast conservation therapy. When your cancer is found early, MammoSite® could be used following lumpectomy to help cancer from coming back. It targets the radiation right to the area that the cancer is most likely to recur. Since it’s so targeted, there is minimal radiation delivered to other healthy tissue. The new procedure uses a small, soft balloon attached to a thin catheter. This balloon is placed inside the lumpectomy cavity. To deliver the required therapy, a tiny source of radiation, called a "seed," is placed within the balloon. During 10 treatments over five days, this "seed" is placed in the balloon and the radiation is delivered. The treatments generally last between eight and 10 minutes each time. The balloon catheter remains until the end of the five days of treatment. "With proper screening through annual mammograms and self-breast exams, women have higher chances of curing cancer because of advanced treatment options," Graham said. "For people who have to travel long distances for treatment, the price of gas and the length of time involved are factors in their decision." "In the past, elderly women lacking transportation would likely have chosen a mastectomy in an attempt to avoid radiation therapy because they couldn't make the trip," Graham said. MammoSite® is an appropriate treatment option for patients who have been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. Because the MammoSite® works from inside the breast, the radiation is delivered directly to the area of the breast where the cancer is most likely to recur. However, because treatment options vary from patient to patient, your physician may still feel that whole-breast external radiation therapy is the best option for treating your cancer. At PCRMC, a tumor board, consisting of the cancer care physicians, meets weekly to evaluate patients diagnosed with cancer. These physicians include a radiation oncologist, pathologist, medical oncologist, radiologist and surgeons. "The board can hopefully pre-qualify patients who are eligible for the MammoSite® therapy, so the therapy can begin immediately after the lumpectomy is completed," Graham said. After the five days of treatment, the patient goes home, and there is no radiation retained. Graham emphasized that the radiation used is very controlled, and is calibrated to reach only the specified area. "We also can work with surgeons outside the institution, so patients can remain close to home for their radiation therapy," Graham said. For more information about MammoSite® and to learn if it is an option for you, call the PCRMC radiation oncology department at (573) 458-7500. Women around the country who have received the MammoSite® therapy have volunteered to talk to women about the procedure. You can connect with volunteers via phone at 1-877-566-9866 or the Internet at www.VoicesofMammoSite.com. You can also log onto the Voices of MammoSite® website to read or listen to women's stories about their experience with treatment. |