Electronic Brachytherapy

Breast cancer patients can now get quicker easier radiation treatments closer to home. A new targeted therapy option is on the horizon.

by Medstar

Published: Tue, February 12, 2008 - 10:02 am CST Last Updated: Tue, February 12, 2008 - 2:48 pm CST

Kathleen Rau was lucky. Her breast cancer was caught early. She had a lumpectomy to remove the tumor... then became one of the first people to have a new type of radiation treatment.
"It was twice a day for five days as opposed to every day for six or eight weeks whatever the treatment was, so that sounded much more appealing to me to have it over within five days."
Women who choose lumpectomy surgery typically have radiation to the whole breast to kill any lingering cancer cells. This new option called Electronic Brachytherapy is a form of partial breast radiation. It targets just the tumor site, from the inside, without affecting surrounding organs. It's done through a balloon catheter inserted during surgery.
"The radiation is given through a very tiny x-ray tube which fits into a catheter which is placed inside the woman's breast."
And it's delivered *electrically* - not from a radioactive source.
That means it's safe for doctors and family to be in the treatment room with the patient.
"You're just not thinking you're getting zapped in some chamber all by yourself."
Dr. Griem is involved in a national study comparing conventional radiation with partial breast methods.
"Is it more effective? That's unlikely because conventional treatment is highly effective and highly curable. But we are looking at things like convenience to the patient, quality of life issues, is there less, are there fewer side effects in terms of tiredness, skin changes, etc. than the conventional treatment. So in that way, it actually may be better."
And a leap forward in breast cancer care.
Electronic Brachytherapy can be set up almost anywhere. Doctors say it may increase the number of women choosing breast-sparing lumpectomy instead of a full mastectomy because they won't have to travel to major centers to get radiation treatments.

Fast Facts:
Last year, about 178,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer would be diagnosed in women in the U.S. about 40,460 women were expected to die of the disease.
Breast conservation surgery (lumpectomy) is usually followed by radiation therapy.
In external radiation therapy, focused beams of radiation are aimed at the breast for about 30 minutes, five days a week for a total of five to eight weeks.
Axxent™ electronic brachytherapy delivers radiation therapy internally, through a miniature x-ray tube temporarily implanted in the breast.

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