Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT) at Long Beach Memorial is an advanced way of providing a one-stop solution for breast cancer treatment. One of the most significant factors for breast cancer, besides gender, is age and the natural process of growing older. For women over age 50 and in the early stages of breast cancer, IORT can deliver a complete dose of radiation in one treatment during a surgical procedure.
According to the American Cancer Society, 1 in 8 U.S. women (12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of their lives. IORT combines the surgical procedure required to remove the cancer through a lumpectomy and the post-operative radiation treatment into a single treatment.
The procedure begins with the removal of the tumor by a breast surgeon, followed by the implementation of a balloon applicator into the surgical opening. The applicator then hooks to a robot that helps to directly deliver radiation to the tumor bed, the part of the breast at highest risk of recurrence.
The radiation treatment takes an average of 15 minutes to be delivered all while the patient is sedated. The applicator is then removed and the surgical opening is closed. IORT provides the possibility of a solution much simpler, quicker and more convenient than the traditional radiation treatment after surgery, which often lasts several weeks and has more side effects for the patient.
There are many benefits that IORT provides, the most impressive being the lumpectomy and radiation treatment being efficiently integrated into a single surgery. IORT has proven to destroy less breast tissue than ongoing radiation, and women who have undergone intraoperative radiation therapy have experienced fewer side effects.
In addition, the short timing plus the elimination of traditional radiation treatments are convenient not only for patients who have difficulty traveling, but for patients who work.
“It helps out our patients so much,” explains Deborah Fridman, director, Clinical Research, MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute. “It’s for working women, who can go back to work without having to continuously go to the doctor. We’ve been able to see how well our patients have responded to IORT, and they’ve loved it.”
Since IORT was implemented in 2011, the treatment has made enormous strides over the past four years. Initially, IORT was limited to a single patient a week, and no more than two patients a month. Now, the treatment option has helped more than 100 patients.
“It’s great that we have it available as a research study program, so that we can determine whether this new radiation technique is as good as or better than the previous technique,” says Linda Chan, M.D., oncologist, MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute, Long Beach Memorial.
IORT Therapy has proven to be an asset for both Long Beach Memorial and its patients. “We’re really lucky to have all of these different treatment options to offer patients, and I think they appreciate that. That’s what distinguishes us as a fantastic cancer center,” says Chan.
Call 800-MEMORIAL to learn more.