Radiation Oncologists, P.C. Our Specialties

Brachytherapy

Mammosite Treatment

  • 20% of candidates for breast conserving therapy decline treatment due to geographic inconvenience and time commitment
  • Almost all breast cancer recurrences within the breast occur at the previous biopsy site hence treating the entire breast(standard of care) may be overtreatment
  • Breast brachytherapy delivers radiation using a temporary radioactive source to the surgical cavity over a 1 week span versus standard radiation that delivers radiation to the breast over 6.5 weeks
  • Mammosite was FDA approved in 2002, the planning is simple and reliable, over 15,000 patients have been treated with Mammosite in the U.S.
  • At 5 year follow up, the local control rates are over 95% which is at least equivalent to standard radiation
  • At 5 year follow up, the "excellent/good" cosmesis rate is 85-90% and patient satisfaction rate is > 95%
  • Candidates include: unifocal invasive ductal cancers less than 3 cm's, no lymph node involvement, negative margins, possibly ductal carcinoma in situ(DCIS)