Radiation heart dose from MammoSite compared to IMRT for left-sided breast cancersNovember 09, 2006When compared to IMRT, MammoSite Brachytherapy does not always deliver lower doses of radiation to the heart during treatment of left sided breast cancers. That is the finding of a study presented today at the 48th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology in Philadelphia. MammoSite is a form of brachytherapy that uses a balloon catheter to deliver radiation. The balloon is surgically placed at the site where the tumor was removed and radiation is delivered through the catheter. IMRT, or intensity modulated radiation therapy, is a highly sophisticated system of delivering external-beam radiation that allows advanced planning for accuracy and reduced side effects. "In theory, MammoSite brachytherapy has generally been associated with lower doses to the heart for left-sided breast cancers, but in our study, we found that IMRT in some patients confers less radiation to the heart when treating areas close to the chest wall," said Alice Tsai, M.D., a resident in the Radiation Oncology Department at Fox Chase Cancer Center. MammoSite brachytherapy was simulated in 101 women with left sided breast tumors treated with IMRT. The maximum heart dose delivered by MammoSite was calculated and compared to the maximum heart doses delivered by IMRT. The patients were divided then into two separate groups. Group I consisted of patients with the higher heart doses from MammoSite simulations. Group II consisted of those with the higher heart doses from IMRT. The researchers analyzed data to determine the minimum distance from the chest wall to place the MammoSite implant in order to reduce the dose of radiation to the heart, but a uniform distance could not be determined, but other important conclusions were made. "Our study shows that MammoSite brachytherapy does not always confer a lower heart dose than IMRT in women with left sided breast tumors," concluded Tsai. "Care must be taken when assessing women who are candidates for MammoSite brachytherapy with thorough evaluation of CT scans to minimize heart toxicity when left breast tumors are close to the chest wall." Fox Chase Cancer Center |
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| Related Brachytherapy Current Events and Brachytherapy News Articles Task force develops new radiation guidelines for brachytherapy Radiation dose delivered to the prostate and nearby organs in every brachytherapy procedure should be carefully analyzed using post-implant CT or MRI and uniformly documented in every patient. Hormone therapy for prostate cancer patients with heart conditions linked to increased death risk Men with coronary artery disease-induced congestive heart failure or heart attack who receive hormone therapy before or along with radiation therapy for treatment of prostate cancer have an associated increased risk of death. Study shows seed implants a suitable prostate cancer treatment option for men of all ages Men diagnosed with prostate cancer have a number of treatments to choose from, but it's a daunting task to figure out the right mix of therapies for an individual patient. Prostate cancer patients disease free after 5 years likely to be disease free after 10 years Prostate cancer patients who receive brachytherapy and remain free of disease for five years or greater are unlikely to have a recurrence at 10 years. External beam partial breast irradiation most cost-effective treatment External beam partial breast irradiation (EB-PBI) is the most cost-effective method for treating postmenopausal women with early-stage breast cancer based on utilities, recurrence risks and costs when compared to whole breast radiotherapy (WBRT) and brachytherapy partial breast irradiation (brachy-PBI). Long-term study shows low oxygen levels in prostate tumors can predict recurrence Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers have discovered that low-oxygen regions in prostate tumors can be used to predict a rise in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, a marker of tumor recurrence in prostate cancer. Radiation device in the breast reduces complications for early stage breast cancer patients A new study shows that the SAVI⢠applicator, a small, expandable device inserted inside the breast to deliver partial breast irradiation, carries a low infection risk, a potential complication of such devices. Agent Orange exposure increases veterans' risk of aggressive recurrence of prostate cancer Veterans exposed to Agent Orange are at increased risk of aggressive recurrence of prostate cancer, researchers report. High dosage brachytherapy obtains excellent results in head and neck tumors High-dosage perioperative brachytherapy (applied within the surgical process) obtains excellent results in the treatment of head and neck tumours, at the same time as reducing the period of radiation. Early results favorable for 5-day radiation treatment of early stage prostate cancer Preliminary results show that a shortened course of radiation therapy for prostate cancer called stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) provides good PSA response for early-stage prostate cancer and has the same side effects as other treatments. More Brachytherapy Current Events and Brachytherapy News Articles |
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