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Battle breast cancer in five days

MammoSite breast brachytherapy offers innovative treatment for women

11 / 02 / 2007

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APPLETON, Wis. – Breast cancer has met its match at Affinity Health System.

St. Elizabeth Hospital now provides the area’s most innovative radiation treatment for women who have had lumpectomies. The St. Elizabeth Hospital Cancer Center is the only provider in the Fox Cities that offers MammoSite direct radiation therapy, a treatment plan that shortens radiation therapy from approximately six weeks to five days.

MammoSite brachytherapy delivers radiation from inside the beast via a small balloon that is inserted into the lumpectomy cavity. The state-of-the-art treatment uses a computer-controlled robot to place radioactive seeds in the balloon. Unlike conventional radiation therapy, which is once a day for six weeks, MammoSite brachytherapy treatments are twice a day for five days.

Dr. Tod Speer, a UW radiation oncologist at St. Elizabeth Hospital, was instrumental in bringing this technology to Affinity Health System. “MammoSite is a viable alternative to selected patients,” he said.

Lumpectomy followed by MammoSite brachytherapy can be a treatment option for early-stage breast cancer patients. The advantages of this treatment option include:

• Treatment last five days instead of six weeks
• The radiation dose is concentrated in the area of the breast where the tumor was previously removed. Less radiation will reach the skin, lungs, heart, ribs, the healthy part of the breast and the body as a whole.

In addition to providing this service at St. Elizabeth Hospital, Affinity has plans to bring this treatment option to the Michael D. Wachtel Cancer Center at Mercy Medical Center in 2008.

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For the Editor:
Affinity Health System, a Catholic mission-oriented regional health care network, is a partnership of Ministry Health Care and Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare. Affinity Health System is the Fox Valley’s third largest employer, according to the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and is ranked 24 among the top 100 integrated health care networks nationwide (Verispan 2008). Both St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton and Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh rank among the top 1 percent among hospitals nationwide in terms of quality and efficiency, as determined by the 2007 Premier | CareScience Select practice National Quality Award. Network Health Plan has achieved Excellent accreditation status from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the highest possible level. It is ranked 37th among the 250 rated health plans in the nation in terms of customer satisfaction and clinical performance, according to the U.S. News and World Report/NCQA Best Health Plans in America listing. Members of Affinity include Mercy Medical Center and Mercy Health Foundation, Oshkosh; St. Elizabeth Hospital and the St. Elizabeth Hospital Community Foundation, Appleton; Affinity Medical Group, a regional network of 23 family practice and specialty clinics in 13 communities; Calumet Medical Center, Chilton; Network Health Plan, Menasha; and Affinity Occupational Health.