|
|
Breast Tumor Therapy The MammoSite® Radiation Therapy System (RTS) provides high dose radiation therapy or brachytherapy to the breast during a course of treatment lasting 4-5 days following a lumpectomy. This can be compared to the traditional external beam treatments lasting up to seven weeks. This novel treatment radiates only the tumor site and not the whole breast.
The MammoSite® RTS consists of a balloon catheter (shown above) that is implanted either at the time of the lumpectomy or shortly thereafter. Radiation treatment is delivered by a connecting the radiation source to the catheter. This treatment is usually done twice a day on an out patient basis for 4-5 days. The catheter is then simply removed when the treatment is complete, usually without anesthetic. To view an animation of the procedure, click the MammoSite® icon, located on the left. |
