What Is Mammosite Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer?
Breast conservation procedures for early stage breast cancer has replaced mastectomy as the treatment of choice in the vast majority of patients. This entails a lumpectomy procedure where the surgeon removes the cancer from the breast with clear margins. This has traditionally been followed by whole breast radiation which prevents the cancer from coming back in that breast. This allows the woman to retain her breast and be free of her breast cancer. These treatments are done by a procedure called Tele-therapy which is done using giant x-ray machines, called LINACS. High energy x-rays are directed to the involved breast over a 6 to 7 week period, given 5 days a week. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes to deliver each treatment. The problems that patients with early stage breast cancer face when undergoing whole breast radiation: 1. Since the whole breast is treated with radiation, surrounding tissues such as lung and heart would also receive some radiation. 2. The several weeks that it tak
