MammoSite®
MammoSite® is an important new way to treat breast cancer for some women who have decided to have breast conserving surgery. While not all women are eligible to receive this type of radiation therapy for breast cancer it is an exceptionally good option for those who do qualify. The advantages are that there is less damage to normal surrounding tissue when compared to traditional radiation and that the treatment time can be significantly shortened from nearly seven weeks to one week.
MammoSite® treatment requires coordination and communication between the breast surgeon and the radiation oncologist. At the time of the breast surgery a “spacer” is placed in the breast in the area where the cancer was removed. That “spacer” is then replaced by a balloon catheter in the physician’s office. When it is time to introduce the radioactive source, the balloon is inflated and the source is introduced into the balloon with the HDR machine. Patients have two treatments a day for five days. At the end of the treatment, the balloon is removed, the breast is bandaged and normal healing takes place.
At Capital Regional Cancer Center, MammoSite® represents just one of the possible approaches to managing breast cancer for women who desire to preserve their breast.