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Mammosite
November 17, 2008 |
Dr. Thomas Carrasquillo has experienced success with a new radiation treatment for
breast cancer patients. The treatment is called Mammosite.
“Mammosite is what we call partial breast radiation and that is we only give radiation
in the area where the original tumor existed,” he
says.
Most patients, who have a tumor removed from their breast, need to undergo radiation
to help prevent the cancer from returning.
“The reason we give radiation after the
tumor is removed is because we do worry that there may be some cells which have
come loose from the original tumor. The most recent type of radiation treatment
that was being used was giving the entire breast radiation and that usually involved
daily treatments in the vicinity of six to seven weeks,”
says Dr. Carrasquillo.
Because Mammosite localizes radiation, the treatment process is faster. “One of
the big benefits is that the treatments are done twice a day, only for five days
so it’s a much shorter treatment.” Dr. Carrasquillo adds that not every breast cancer
patient will meet the criteria for Mammosite treatment. “Currently we are allowing
the treatment for women who have early breast cancers, that have small breast cancers
and also women who have large breasts. We are still being really selective and really
picking patients that we think are the best candidates for this. I know that as
time goes on and we get more experience our criteria will expand.”
Mammosite was approved by the FDA in 2002. Since then it has been used on more than
40,000 patients nationwide. Many breast cancer patients who have been treated with
localized radiation say the result is also cosmetically appealing. |
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