When a woman is faced with breast cancer, she is often overwhelmed with the emotional impact as well as the physical implications. For those diagnosed in the early stages, a new treatment, MammoSite therapy or partial breast irradiation, means being able to get on with life much more quickly than with traditional radiation therapy. In fact, the treatment only last five days. It consists of two treatments daily, each lasting about fifteen minutes.

“We believe in offering anything that will ease a patient’s journey with cancer,” says Peter LaNasa, M.D., Director of Radiation at The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. “MammoSite cuts radiation to only five days and has been proven to be just as effective as the traditional 35 days of external beam radiation. Women deserve to be able to get on with their lives as quickly as possible.”

Sam Buchanan, D.O., general surgeon, agrees: “This treatment works well for women in the early stages of breast cancer. The surgeon places the MammoSite balloon catheter in the area left by the lumpectomy procedure. This way the radiation oncologist can target, with great precision, the area with the highest possibility of recurrence.”

Dr. Annette Elbert, general surgeon, offers a surgical and female perspective. She said, “Women juggle children, jobs, elderly parents, household chores, and more. A cancer diagnosis can be devastating, not only because of the fear of this dreaded illness, but also because lifestyle is so impacted. MammoSite is as much a quality of life issue as a medical issue. Shortening the time required for radiation by 85% is a great blessing for our patients.”

What is MammoSite Therapy?

A patient is treated with MammoSite therapy, also called partial breast irradiation and brachytherapy, in a separate surgical procedure after a lumpectomy has been performed. A tiny balloon with the MammoSite catheter attached is placed in directly the area where the tumor was located (see diagram). The balloon can be inflated to precisely fit the area. The catheter is connected to a high-dose radiation source. Patients receive radiation for five days, usually twice per day for about fifteen minutes.

Advantages of MammoSite Therapy

MammoSite has major advantages for the patient:

• The convenience of 5 days vs. 35 days of radiation means less disruption in the patient’s life.
• The former tumor location is the most likely area for breast cancer recurrence. Because MammoSite technology places the radiation directly in this area, chances for recurrence are reduced. Studies have shown recurrence rates similar to those patients who had external beam radiation results.
• Side effect potential is reduced because radiation is precisely targeted, so exposure to healthy tissue is greatly limited.
• Radiation therapy can be completed before beginning chemotherapy (if prescribed).
• Cosmetic outcomes are to good/excellent for the majority of patients.