St. Benrardine Radiation Therapy Center to Offer Tumor Site-specific Internal Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer.
Recently FDA-Cleared MammoSite Internally Delivers Radiation Therapy to Targeted Area in a Five Day Course of Treatment
SAN BERNADINO, Calif. (June 22, 2005) – Vantage Oncology at St. Bernardine Medical Center announced today that it will offer patients with breast cancer the MammoSiteâ Radiation Therapy System (RTS), a radiation therapy device that was recently cleared by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). By internally delivering radiation directly to the tissue surrounding the original tumor, the MammoSite RTS minimizes radiation exposure to healthy tissue with a treatment course of five days rather than the typical six week whole breast irradiation protocol. This treatment approach is often referred to as accelerated partial breast irradiation. Paul Pagnini, M.D., Linas Kazlauskas, M.D., Mary Ann Rose, M.D., Terence Roberts, M.D. and Ramez Farah, M.D. will screen patients at Vantage Oncology centers in Wildomar, Temecula, Riverside and San Bernardino, to evaluate if they are appropriate candidates for this new protocol.
Approximately 2 million women are living with breast cancer in the U.S. The National Cancer Institute has stated that breast-conserving therapy is “preferable” to mastectomy for most early stage cancer patients. Traditionally breast conservation therapy involves a lumpectomy (the surgical removal of only the breast tumor) and adequate axillary lymph node sampling, followed by a six week course of whole breast irradiation. Two studies supporting breast conservation management (Fisher et al, and Versonesi et al.) reported in the October 17, 2002 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine that women with small breast cancers who were treated with the conservative protocol were as likely to be disease-free in 20 years as women treated with radical mastectomy. However, logistical barriers of time and travel for the six week whole-breast radiation treatment have pushed a number of women toward the mastectomy without irradiation. In fact, studies have shown 40 percent of women with early-stage breast cancer will opt for a mastectomy without radiation therapy because of the shorter time commitment, rather than the more conservative alternative of lumpectomy. MammoSite® RTS may provide women with localized tumors the lumpectomy option without the six-week time commitment to irradiation.
“Vantage Oncology is excited to be the first in the Inland Empire to offer this new internal treatment option to women with breast cancer who are confronting difficult choices regarding their care at a very stressful time. The fact that MammoSite is minimally-invasive for patients, coupled with the shorter treatment time, could make it easier for more women to consider the choice of lumpectomy,” said Paul G. Pagnini, M.D., Medical Director of Vantage Oncology at St. Bernardine Medical Center. “MammoSite represents the next generation of internal radiation therapy, providing doctors and patients with a site-specific treatment option that can be completed in five days rather than six weeks while preserving healthy breast tissue.”
The MammoSite device is a balloon catheter that is inserted into the cavity created by a lumpectomy. MammoSite RTS delivers radiation from inside the lumpectomy cavity over a course of five days. The device targets radiation to the area where tumors are most likely to recur, while minimizing exposure of healthy tissue. Early published data analyzing accelerated partial breast irradiation with follow up of 3-6 years, reveals comparable local control rates to whole-breast radiation therapy in selected patients.
Consultation appointments at Vantage Oncology Centers in San Bernardino, Riverside or Temecula can be made by calling (866) 964-8100.
For additional information about MammoSite, please contact Vantage Oncology at St. Bernardine Medical Center at (909) 475-2700 or go to the Internet at www.mammosite.com.
About Vantage Oncology at St. Bernardine Medical Center
Vantage Oncology at St. Bernardine Medical Center provides radiation therapy services for the treatment of cancer to the San Bernardino community. The Center currently offers 3-D Conformal Radiation Therapy, Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy, as well as Low Dose Rate (LDR) permanent prostate brachytherapy, with the installation of advanced technologies. The Center also provides a full range of social support services, such as a dietitian, music therapy, a breast cancer support group and a breast cancer/lymphedema class. The Center is staffed by highly trained clinicians with expertise in implementing and utilizing the most advanced radiation therapy technology. Consultation appointments at Vantage Oncology Centers in San Bernardino, Riverside or Temecula can be made by calling (866) 964-8100.
CONTACT:
Karen Mattocks
Vantage Oncology
(310) 335-4000
email:info@vantagoncology.com
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