Partial Breast Radiation for Breast Carcinoma (Mammosite Device)

In the past, all women who underwent a lumpectomy and required radiation received total breast radiation. Recently, the option of getting partial breast radiation or radiation only in the area of the lumpectomy has become another option for radiation treatment to women who have had breast cancer and have undergone a lumpectomy.

The advantages of this modality are the following:

• The treatment requires only five days, not the usual six weeks that total breast radiation requires.
• Only the area around the lumpectomy site is radiated and, therefore, does not expose the rest of the breast to unnecessary radiation.

The disadvantages are:

• A balloon device has to be inserted into the lumpectomy site in order to deliver this partial breast radiation.
• The person has to go to the radiation facility twice a day for five days.

This present modality is available to women with breast who have small cancers and no nodes involved. For those who have bigger cancers and node involvement, they can partake in this treatment by participating in a trial.

The results with this treatment are similar to total breast radiation. If you are a candidate for this therapy, your physician can discuss this with you.