What is a MammoSite?
(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.
What are the three types of brachytherapy?
Sure, there are 3 types of brachytherapy: low-dose rate implants, high-dose rate implants, and permanent implants. Low-dose rate implants, often called LDR for short, are implants that stay in for 7 days or less before they are taken out.
What is MammoSite radiation?
MammoSite is a targeted radiation therapy treatment for breast cancer performed following a lumpectomy. A small, soft balloon is placed inside the lumpectomy cavity through a small incision in the breast.
What is balloon brachytherapy?
Balloon breast brachytherapy (BBB) is a technique for delivering radiation treatment in women with early-stage breast cancer. It is given after lumpectomy, or surgical removal of a small breast neoplasm, and is a shorter alternative to the more traditional method of external beam radiation for seven weeks.
Who makes MammoSite?
Hologic offers a choice between two systems: MammoSite® and Contura® systems.
What are the two types of brachytherapy?
There are two main forms of brachytherapy – intracavitary treatment and interstitial treatment. With intracavitary treatment, the radioactive sources are put into a space near where the tumor is located, such as the cervix, the vagina or the windpipe.
How many times can you have brachytherapy?
During high-dose-rate brachytherapy, radioactive material is placed in your body for a short period — from a few minutes up to 20 minutes. You may undergo one or two sessions a day over a number of days or weeks.
What is brachy radiation?
Brachytherapy (brak-e-THER-uh-pee) is a procedure that involves placing radioactive material inside your body. Brachytherapy is one type of radiation therapy that’s used to treat cancer. Brachytherapy is sometimes called internal radiation.
What is meant by interstitial brachytherapy?
Interstitial brachytherapy is the use of an applicator that is placed in and close to a tumor, through the vagina or the perineum. The applicator has two components: an obturator and a template.
What is MammoSite brachytherapy?
MammoSite Brachytherapy. One of your breast cancer treatment options at the Stanford Cancer Center is a new method that makes it more convenient to receive radiation therapy after a lumpectomy. The procedure, called breast brachytherapy, temporarily delivers a radioactive seed directly into the breast where the tumor has been removed.
What type of balloon is used for brachytherapy?
This balloon also has a purple keyed stylet that helps you position the balloon after implantation. Contura multi-lumen balloon is a single insertion balloon brachytherapy applicator available in two sizes and two shaft configurations (standard and FLEX). With five treatment lumens, you can shift the isodose curve from the chest wall.
Can the MammoSite device be used as a sole radiation treatment?
Initial clinical results have shown that the MammoSite device could be used as a sole radiation treatment for selected patients with early stage breast cancer providing good local control, minimal complication rate and excellent cosmesis.
What is a vacuum port on a balloon brachytherapy?
There are two vacuum ports on the proximal and distal ends of the balloon that allow you to remove fluid or air to facilitate tissue conformance to the balloon. Both MammoSite and Contura multi-lumen balloon brachytherapy applicators are the only single-insertion APBI technologies that meet or exceed all B-39 dosimetric guidelines. 3-5