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 First
Coast Oncology is proud to be the first in Northeast
Florida and one of the few in the nation to offer
brachytherapy for the treatment of early-stage breast
cancer after a lumpectomy. First Coast
Oncology has a long history of experience with
brachytherapy as a treatment for breast cancer and has
offered the procedure to eligible patients since
1989. A new
surgical device, MammositeTM, offered by Proxima
Therapeutics makes the treatment easier and more
accessible to patients.
The
procedure involves the placement of flexible plastic
tubes called catheters into the cavity where the
cancerous tumor was removed. Twice a day, the
radiation oncologist injects radiation into the tube,
directly focusing on the exact area where the tumor was
removed. The total duration of the treatment is about one
week for a total of 10 doses. Brachytherapy
provides a high dose of radiation to a small area, which
may reduce some of the side effects associated with
traditional external beam radiation. It also reduces
possible damage to the surrounding healthy tissues in
the body such as the skin, lungs, and chest wall.
Women who
may benefit from this option are those who must travel
long distances to receive treatments, those who are too
frail to tolerate daily treatments for many weeks and
women who are traveling often and are unable to commit
to a six-week course of treatment. Prior to this
advancement in treatment, many women chose a mastectomy
to avoid radiation treatments. This alternative
treatment gives many women the option to choose breast
conserving treatment and complete radiation treatments
in less than one week.
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