A small radiation "seed" implanted directly into the breast is the latest treatment option for women with early breast cancer, reducing the prolonged six-week regimen of daily radiation therapy to only five days of treatment.

The treatment, called the MammoSite Radiation Therapy System, begins with the insertion of a small balloon into the breast cavity created after a lumpectomy (the surgical removal of a breast tumor). Then, the radiation source is inserted by catheter into the woman’s breast and left there for about five to ten minutes twice daily. The device targets radiation to the area where tumors are most likely to recur, while minimizing exposure to the rest of the breast and surrounding healthy organs. On the last day of treatment, the balloon catheter is removed, and a small amount of antibiotic and gauze are placed over the site.

"Clinical trial data with a minimum of five years of follow-up show us that partial breast irradiation is no less effective than getting six weeks of whole breast irradiation," said Dr. Hsin Lu, a radiation oncologist at The Methodist Hospital in Houston. "Partial breast irradiation is incredibly more convenient for the patient, and it provides comparable cancer control and cosmetic results. Today, more and more women who have cancerous tumors are looking for treatment options to preserve their breast and to minimize damage to healthy organs. This is the best option I’ve seen for them."

Lu said this new technology is an important advancement for the treatment of breast cancer patients. Almost 40 percent of women who are candidates for breast conservation therapy (lumpectomy followed by radiation treatment) still choose to have a mastectomy, despite comparable long-term local control and survival rates. One reason for this choice has been the inconvenience of a prolonged treatment course, especially to the elderly and working women.

"Due to earlier detection and improved treatments, the prospect for sustained recovery from breast cancer is better than ever," she said. "Early stage breast cancer patients may still choose to have a mastectomy, but a growing number are opting for a less invasive method of treatment. MammoSite gives women another option, and it is much easier for them. It may improve the under-utilization of breast conservation treatment."

Of the approximately 250,000 women who develop breast cancer each year, more than one-third is able to undergo lumpectomy and radiation. Most of these women are candidates for this new therapy.