What is MammoSite brachytherapy?

What is MammoSite brachytherapy?

MammoSite, or brachytherapy, is an internal therapy in which the radiation source is placed inside the body. Proton, IMRT, Gamma Knife® and more conventional X-ray therapies are external therapies. These treatments are delivered by machines located outside the body.

What is MammoSite radiation?

(MA-moh-site) A system used to deliver internal radiation therapy to breast cancer patients after surgery to remove their cancer. MammoSite targets only the part of the breast where the cancer was found.

Is MammoSite radiation radioactive?

No radiation remains in your body in between treatments. After completing five days of treatment, the MammoSite balloon catheter is removed. The catheter and balloon are gently extracted.

What is SAVI brachytherapy?

SAVI is a strut-based applicator that delivers a form of accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) known as a breast brachytherapy, a five-day course of targeted radiation for early-stage breast cancer.

How many treatment lumens does Contura?

The Contura MLB uses five separate “lumens,” or channels, inside the balloon to place the radiation. The additional channels help the physician to shape or “contour” the radiation dose away from the skin or chest wall.

Why are there only 5 radiation treatments?

Having fewer radiotherapy sessions can improve patients’ quality of life—fewer treatment sessions may mean fewer unpleasant side effects, such as the skin irritation, loss of appetite, nausea and fatigue so often associated with cancer treatment. It also means fewer trips to the cancer center.

What are the side effects of internal radiation?

Possible Complications

• Feeling very tired.
• Skin changes such as redness and irritation.
• Reduced white blood cell count.
• Hair loss.
• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
• Lack of hunger.

Can I refuse radiation therapy?

Patients who refuse recommended adjuvant radiation therapy have unacceptably high rates of local recurrence. Omission of radiation for advanced age alone is associated with local recurrence rates comparable to those for younger patients.

What does the SAVI device look like?

The SAVI system consists of a tube-like applicator (called a trocar), an expandable bundle of tiny catheters, and a computerized radiation delivery system. The bundled catheters are positioned around the applicator pole like the ribs of an umbrella.

How is Savi inserted?

The SAVI Brachy applicator is gently inserted in a closed position into the tumor cavity through a small incision, a procedure that is usually done in the physician’s office.

Do tumors grow back after radiation?

Normal cells close to the cancer can also become damaged by radiation, but most recover and go back to working normally. If radiotherapy doesn’t kill all of the cancer cells, they will regrow at some point in the future.

What should you not do during radiation?

Spicy Foods – Radiation often causes nausea, loose stools, or constipation. Spicy foods can further irritate the stomach and the rectum and cause discomfort. Raw Fish/Shellfish – Radiation therapy kills healthy cells in addition to cancerous cells, which could reduce the strength of your immune system.