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“This particular protocol is really very exciting,” says Dr. Pradip Ganguly, division chief of radiation oncology with Eastern Health.

The new method of delivering internal radiation therapy is being introduced at the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Centre.

MammoSite radiation therapy delivers radiation directly to where the tumour was removed as well as to the surrounding area.

The therapy is much less invasive than full breast radiation, Ganguly explained.

“This is equivalent to going back in the surgical days, but instead of taking out the whole breast you take part of the breast,” he said.

Within two weeks of the patient’s lumpectomy, a MammoSite balloon is surgically placed inside the breast where the tumour was removed. To illustrate, Ganguly holds the small balloon-like device attached to a piece of plastic tubing. The tubing remains outside the breast, he said.

Once an ultrasound confirms that the balloon has been properly placed in the breast cavity, it is inflated to fill the area and the patient goes home.

The patient then returns as an outpatient to begin a five-day period of twice-daily treatments where a specialized piece of equipment sends radiation into the balloon.

The good news for the patient, Ganguly says, is that MammoSite radiation therapy reduces treatment from weeks to less than a week.

“This means if we have someone coming from Corner Brook, or somewhere else far off, they don’t have to stay here in the hostel or rent a place for five to six weeks,” he said.

The doctor noted that breast cancer patients are concerned about how their bodies will look after surgery and treatment.

Good cosmetic results

The breast looks almost the same after a lumpectomy as it did before, he said, and MammoSite radiation therapy also gives a good cosmetic result.

According to the Canadian Cancer Society (www.cancer.ca), breast cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian women, with an average of 429 women diagnosed every week. About 102 Canadian women die of breast cancer each week.

Of course, not everyone with breast cancer is a suitable candidate for partial breast radiation or a lumpectomy. Factors such as age, tumour size and grade and hormone receptor status must be taken into consideration, Ganguly said.

It’s also important that the cancer hasn’t spread to lymph nodes.

Patients who meet all the criteria and who are 50 years and older may be considered for MammoSite radiation therapy. The surgeon must receive extensive training.

So far, in this province, Dr. Al Felix in St. John’s and Dr. Valerie Jefford in Corner Brook have completed training in MammoSite radiation.

“We’ve had one patient go through this so far and it went like a charm. We even had a pizza party because it went so smoothly,” Ganguly said.

Once six patients have received the treatment, the team will review the protocol before continuing with the treatment.

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