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Treatment
of breast cancer usually involves some form of radiotherapy
in combination with surgery (mastectomy
or breast conservation), chemotherapy or hormone
therapy.
Radiation therapy can be delivered through 3-D conformal therapy,
such as intensity modulated radiation
therapy and internal radiation therapy including a cutting-edge
form of HDR brachytherapy called Mammosite technology.
Monmouth Medical Center is among a select group of hospitals nationwide
to offer MammoSite,
a partial breast irradiation (PBI) technique that can make treatment
easier for certain breast cancer patients after breast conservation
surgery. Monmouth is also offering a clinical
study that is comparing the efficacy of the radiation therapy system
with conventional brachytherapy.
While full breast radiation requires up to seven weeks of treatment
and directs radiation to the entire breast after a lumpectomy,
MammoSite therapy takes just five days and minimizes radiation
exposure to healthy breast tissue — two benefits that are
major factors why a growing number of women are choosing this treatment
modality.
MammoSite treatment is a two-step process that involves the delivery
of radiation from inside the lumpectomy cavity — the space
that remains after a tumor is removed. An uninflated MammoSite
balloon first is placed in the cavity through a small incision.
Through a small tube that connects the balloon to the outside of
the breast and the balloon is inflated with salt water to fill
the cavity.
As part of the process’s second step, a radioactive “seed” is
placed in the inflated balloon under computer guidance for each
treatment — a regimens that includes two sessions a day for
five days. No radiation source remains in the patient’s body
between treatments or after the procedure. When the therapy is
finished, the balloon is deflated and removed along with the catheter
tube.
Detailed information on disease-specific treatment is available
under the Patient Information and
Education section.
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Radiation Oncology
Monmouth Medical Center
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Disease Site Specific Treatment
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