Daytona Beach, FL - This month, Halifax Health in Daytona Beach started treating women with early-stage breast cancer with a new and less-invasive, single-day treatment.
The new treatment, which uses the INTRABEAM Intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) system, is able to give a patient a dose of traditional radiotherapy during a lumpectomy surgery. The lumpectomy, a breast-conserving procedure, can be completed along with the radiation, in about 20 to 30 minutes. Traditional radiotherapy can take 5 to 6 weeks of treatment.
“The arrival of the IORT system is exciting new technology for our community which brings additional hope to the women of East Central Florida diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer,” says service line administrator for Halifax Health – Center for Oncology, Debra Trovato. "We are proud to be the first to offer this treatment option which greatly reduces the treatment time for women with certain types of early-stage breast cancer. This month, we have successfully performed this new treatment on two patients utilizing the IORT system.”
During the procedure, radiation selectively targets areas where cancer is likely to be.
“With this new less-invasive treatment, the small spherical tip of a miniaturized radiation device is inserted into lumpectomy incision,” says a board-certified radiation oncologist at Halifax Health, Ronald Krochak, M.D. “This treatment option significantly reduces the treatment of early-stage breast cancer and allows patients to get back to their lives more quickly."
This method has been found to be extremely effective. Since 1988, the International TARGIT research group has been studying this technique and has found that after the procedure, recurrence of breast cancer is low.
“Radiotherapy delivered at the time of surgery is an exciting advancement," says Michael Alvarado, M.D., a researcher at the University of California, San Fransisco and a member of the TARGIT-A International Steering Committee. "By delivering radiation intraoperatively, primarily the tumor bed is targeted, therefore patients benefit from less ‘scatter radiation’ to the lungs and heart, and fewer cosmetic problems with the breast.”
IORT is also being used as a boost treatment during other surgeries. It can also be used to deliver a dose of radiotherapy during a whole-breast radiation treatment.
“Women who have been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer should speak with their physician about whether IORT is the right treatment for them,” says Krochak.
To learn more about this treatment as well as other treatments offered by the Center for Oncology at Halifax Health, go here or call 386-425-2378.
Photo courtesy of Halifax Health.
Copyright Southern Stone Communications 2017.
