Mammosite
A treatment option for early stage breast
cancer
If you have been diagnosed with an early-stage breast
cancer (Stage 0, 1 or 2), with limited
or no lymph node involvement, and a tumor size
smaller than 3 cm (about the size of a walnut),
you may be eligible to receive a treatment
option called Mammosite®.
What is Mammosite?
Mammosite is a targeted radiation therapy treatment
in which a small, soft balloon attached to
a thin tube (catheter) is placed inside the
lumpectomy cavity through a small incision
in the breast. During therapy, the portion
of the catheter that remains outside of your
breast is connected to a computer-controlled
High Dose Rate (HDR) machine that inserts a
radiation “seed” to deliver the
therapy to the area where cancer is most likely
to recur.
Once therapy is complete, the seed is removed
and the catheter is unplugged. Mammosite offers
patients several advantages including:
- Shorter treatment period (5 days) than traditional
radiation therapy
- Fewer or more mild side effects
- Therapy is delivered on an outpatient basis
Why is radiation therapy needed?
After a breast cancer tumor is removed (via lumpectomy),
radiation therapy is used to help keep the cancer
from coming back in your breast (breast cancer
local recurrence). The goal is to kill any cancer
cells that remain, so that these cells cannot reproduce.
Locations
This advancement in radiation therapy is available
at:
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