Presbyterian Healthcare 
2004 News Releases
Presbyterian Offers New Breast Cancer Treatment
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July 13, 2004 Contact: Kevin M. McCarthy, Manager, Public & Media Relations, 704-384-9669 |
Presbyterian Cancer Center today announced that it is the first in the Charlotte area to offer breast cancer patients a new radiation device designed to make it easier for more women to consider the choice of lumpectomy for breast cancer treatment.
Called MammoSite RTS, the device aids in delivering radiation directly to the tissue surrounding the original tumor, while minimizing radiation exposure to healthy tissue. Its treatment course of five days reduces the time and travel burden often associated with conventional radiation therapy.
"The fact that MammoSite is minimally invasive for patients, coupled with the short treatment time, could make it easier for more women to preserve their breast with lumpectomy," said Dr. Donna Girard, a radiation oncologist at Presbyterian Cancer Center.
"MammoSite is a clinically proven method of delivering interstitial (in tissue) radiation treatment and will be offered as one of the treatment arms in an upcoming National Cancer Institute-sponsored trial comparing whole breast radiation vs. partial breast radiation after breast conservation surgery for early stage breast cancer," she said. Presbyterian Cancer Center will participate in the trial, which will study 3,000 women who have had breast cancer surgery.
The MammoSite device is a balloon catheter that is inserted into the cavity created by a lumpectomy (the surgical removal of a breast tumor). A radiation source is then inserted through the catheter and targets the area where tumors are most likely to recur. The treatment is provided twice a day for five days, significantly less than the six to seven weeks of treatment using more conventional radiation therapy.
"This new technique is only being used in selected cases," Dr. Girard said. "The selection criteria is evolving, but presently is limited to women 45 years or older with a single invasive ductal carcinoma that is less than three centimeters in size, negative margins, and without lymph node involvement."
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared the MammoSite RTS for use in May 2002. Safety and performance of the device for delivery of interstitial radiation were evaluated in a multi-center study involving women with early stage breast cancer. The results of the study were published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology and Physics (February 2003).
A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that partial breast irradiation produces comparable results to whole breast radiation therapy in preventing breast cancer recurrences in women treated with breast conservation therapy (August 2003).
Presbyterian Cancer Center, part of Presbyterian Hospital, leads the Charlotte region in the diagnosis and treatment of breast, lung, prostate and bladder cancers. The center's Multidisciplinary Oncology Clinics allow patients with lung, prostate and breast cancer to meet with a team of experts who custom-design treatment plans and offer second opinions. Its Center for Cancer Research is currently participating in nearly 100 clinical trials and enrolls six percent of all patients in trials, double the national average. At the heart of the center's focus on recovery are the Presbyterian Buddy Kemp Caring House and Cancer Rehabilitation Services.
For additional information about MammoSite, please contact Presbyterian Cancer Center at 704-384-4188 or visit www.mammosite.com.
Called MammoSite RTS, the device aids in delivering radiation directly to the tissue surrounding the original tumor, while minimizing radiation exposure to healthy tissue. Its treatment course of five days reduces the time and travel burden often associated with conventional radiation therapy.
"The fact that MammoSite is minimally invasive for patients, coupled with the short treatment time, could make it easier for more women to preserve their breast with lumpectomy," said Dr. Donna Girard, a radiation oncologist at Presbyterian Cancer Center.
"MammoSite is a clinically proven method of delivering interstitial (in tissue) radiation treatment and will be offered as one of the treatment arms in an upcoming National Cancer Institute-sponsored trial comparing whole breast radiation vs. partial breast radiation after breast conservation surgery for early stage breast cancer," she said. Presbyterian Cancer Center will participate in the trial, which will study 3,000 women who have had breast cancer surgery.
The MammoSite device is a balloon catheter that is inserted into the cavity created by a lumpectomy (the surgical removal of a breast tumor). A radiation source is then inserted through the catheter and targets the area where tumors are most likely to recur. The treatment is provided twice a day for five days, significantly less than the six to seven weeks of treatment using more conventional radiation therapy.
"This new technique is only being used in selected cases," Dr. Girard said. "The selection criteria is evolving, but presently is limited to women 45 years or older with a single invasive ductal carcinoma that is less than three centimeters in size, negative margins, and without lymph node involvement."
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared the MammoSite RTS for use in May 2002. Safety and performance of the device for delivery of interstitial radiation were evaluated in a multi-center study involving women with early stage breast cancer. The results of the study were published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology and Physics (February 2003).
A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that partial breast irradiation produces comparable results to whole breast radiation therapy in preventing breast cancer recurrences in women treated with breast conservation therapy (August 2003).
Presbyterian Cancer Center, part of Presbyterian Hospital, leads the Charlotte region in the diagnosis and treatment of breast, lung, prostate and bladder cancers. The center's Multidisciplinary Oncology Clinics allow patients with lung, prostate and breast cancer to meet with a team of experts who custom-design treatment plans and offer second opinions. Its Center for Cancer Research is currently participating in nearly 100 clinical trials and enrolls six percent of all patients in trials, double the national average. At the heart of the center's focus on recovery are the Presbyterian Buddy Kemp Caring House and Cancer Rehabilitation Services.
For additional information about MammoSite, please contact Presbyterian Cancer Center at 704-384-4188 or visit www.mammosite.com.
