HDR Breast Brachytherapy
High Dose Radiation (HDR) Breast Brachytherapy
Today, women with early-stage breast cancer are able to treat their cancer effectively and preserve their breasts through an option called breast conservation therapy (BCT). BCT begins with a lumpectomy, the surgical removal of the cancerous tumor. The lumpectomy is generally followed by six to seven weeks of external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), during which radiation is directed at the whole breast. This traditional combination of surgery and radiation works well to fight breast cancer.
From diagnosis to recovery, St. Elizabeth Hospital Cancer Center provides more choices than ever for the area’s most innovative breast cancer treatment. Now, there are two internal treatment options in high dose radiation breast brachytherapy. Plus, both high dose radiation options only take up to five days to complete. MammoSite® Radiation Therapy System (RTS) and Strut-Adjusted Volume Implant (SAVI®) are both minimally invasive methods of delivering internal radiation therapy following a lumpectomy for breast cancer. Therapy is given on an outpatient basis-there is no need to stay in the hospital.
St. Elizabeth Hospital is the only provider in the Fox Valley offering multiple options for five day radiation treatment. For more information, call (920) 738-2184.
What is HDR Breast Brachytherapy?
High dose radiation (HDR) breast brachytherapy delivers radiation from inside the lumpectomy cavity (the space that is left after the tumor is removed) directly to the tissue surrounding the cavity where cancer is most likely to recur. HDR breast brachytherapy can be completed in five days, allowing you to get back to your life.
Benefits of HDR breast brachytherapy - MammoSite® Radiation Therapy and SAVI®:
- Radiation is delivered to the area of the breast where it is needed most.
- Radiation to healthy tissue is minimized, which reduces the potential for side effects.
- Placement of the balloon is simple.
- The treatment is given on an outpatient basis, so no hospital stay is required.
- Radiation can be delivered in five days versus six to seven weeks.
Talk to your doctor to see if you might be a candidate for this treatment option.
For more information on the breast brachytherapy program, call the St. Elizabeth Hospital Cancer Center at (920) 738-2184.
