A five-day radiation treatment plan is rapidly changing the way some breast cancer patients are being treated at Providence Cancer Center.
The investigational cancer treatment, known as MammoSite radiation therapy, has grown in popularity nationally due to its convenience and effectiveness, but Providence is one of only two sites in Oregon and southwest Washington that offer the procedure. “That’s partly due to the highly specialized radiation delivery system and the training required to perform this outpatient surgical procedure,” says Jeannie Louie, M.D., who treats patients at Radiation Oncology Services at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center.
“A small balloon is placed into the breast cavity where the tumor was removed. This balloon is then inflated with a saline solution. “With the balloon in place, we can then administer a tiny radiation source into the center of the balloon to deliver radiation treatment to the immediately surrounding breast tissue to destroy any lingering cancer cells.” After five days of treatment, the balloon is easily removed from the patient’s breast.
Three years of data suggest that MammoSite radiation therapy is an effective and safe alternative to traditional whole-breast irradiation for certain patients with early breast cancer.
Lois Paik, R.N., who helped develop Providence’s high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy program, says that convenience is the deciding factor for many women who undergo the procedure: “For women with other medical issues, for women with time constraints and for women who need to travel long distances to have radiation treatments, having an alternative to the conventional six-week radiation therapy for early stage breast cancer has been a huge time saver.”
