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Intraoperative Radiation Therapy
The standard of care for breast cancer treatment has evolved in the past thirty years from the maximum tolerable treatment of radical mastectomy to the minimum effective treatment of tumor removal with immediate reconstruction. This standard includes administering up to six or seven weeks of whole breast radiation therapy after surgery—or postoperatively—to further decrease the odds of cancer recurrence. Unfortunately, this approach to radiation treatment produces some negative side effects and such a rigorous, daily regimen is very exhausting and inconvenient for women. The good news is that the search for a kinder and gentler approach to breast cancer treatment continues. The administration of a targeted, single dose of radiation therapy during surgery—or intraoperatively—is seeing promising results in Europe and Asia as an equivalent or even superior treatment to the several weeks of postoperative radiation.
IntraOperative Electron-beam Radiation Therapy (IOERT) is such a technique that delivers this single dose of radiation during surgery through the use of a linear accelerator. The Mobetron 1000, a mobile, self-shielded linear accelerator that is optimized specifically for breast cancer therapy, is under consideration by the Foundation for use at Columbia Hospital. Arrangements are nearly complete to acquire this state-of-the-art equipment and it is our hope that we will soon commence the first U.S. based observational study of single-dose radiation therapy administered during surgery.
Dr. Gardner has already received approval of the surgical protocol from the nationally recognized Western Institutional Review Board as required for conducting human trials. This study will involve approximately 300 women with invasive breast cancers of 2.5 centimeters or less (approximately one inch) in size who are least 48 years old and postmenopausal.
Eligibility for this treatment will be determined through an initial assessment of the candidate’s medical history and current diagnosis. The typical procedure consists of the removal of the cancerous tumor and a limited amount of surrounding breast tissue, followed immediately by a one to two minute application of targeted radiation therapy directly to the area where the tumor was removed, followed by oncoplastic reconstruction to preserve the natural shape of the breast utilizing existing breast tissue–all while under general anesthesia. This one-session treatment is completed in just a few hours in the Operating Room with the patient usually discharged the same day.
Another exciting aspect of the study is that it will demonstrate that a multidisciplinary team of surgeons, radiation oncologists, radiation physicists, pathologists, and behavioral health specialists can work together to create a synergy that will provide superior and more cost effective treatment.
We are in the midst of a major fundraising campaign so that we can bring this emerging technology and advanced treatment to women without burdening them with the start up costs. If you wish to assist other women in their fight against breast cancer, please contact our office at (561) 881-9100 or toll free (800) 653-1118.
March 2010
View the Mobetron 1000 by IntraOp Medical Corporation
Visit the IntraOp Medical Corporation website
