Electronic Brachytherapy
(L-R) Jane Peterson, director of Center for Cancer Care; GaryProulx, MD, MGPO Radiation Oncology Associates, medical director of Radiation Oncology at the Center for Cancer Care; Roderick S. McKee, MD, Core General and Vascular Surgery; Jonathan Jackson, Ph.D., medical physicist at the Center for Cancer Care; and Diane Palladino, MD, Core General and Vascular Surgery
Being diagnosed with breast cancer can be a frightening experinence. Questions often arise including: What treatment options are available? How will this affect my family? Will I need to be out of work? How lomg will the treatment take and will I have to travel far?
A new state-of-the-art treatment offered at Exeter Hospital gives women diagnosed with early stage breast cancer the option of a five day course of radiation as opposed to seven weeks.
Exeter Hospital’s Center for Cancer Care is the only hospital in New Hampshire that offers patients the option of the Axxent® Electronic Brachytherapy System from Xoft Inc. for partial breast irradiation. Exeter Hospital is one of only a limited number of hospitals across the country using the treatment method, which was recently approved by the FDA.
Patients can now receive cancer treatment without many weeks of disruption to their daily lives. The new treatment method delivers radiation therapy electronically, without the use of radioactive isotopes, eliminating the need for the heavily-shielded vaults required by existing radiation therapy technologies. This allows the clinical team to stay in the same room with the patient during treatment, providing a more comforting atmosphere.
Emphasizing a multidisciplinary approach to patient care, the Center for Cancer Care at Exeter Hospital evaluates each patient to determine if Electronic Brachytherapy ia an appropriate option for treatment. The multidisciplinary breast clinic team of experts includes medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgeons, physical therapists, social; workers, research specialists and breast health nurses who work together with patients and their families to outline an individually tailored treatment plan.
The clinic’s role begins when a patient with breast cancer contacts the center directly or is referred by a surgeon. The treatment team discusses the case and reviews test results before the patient arrives. The patient then meets with each specialist on the same day, undergoing any necessary exams and having all of her/his questions answered. At the end of the clinic a summary meeting is held to review the various treatment options with the patient and her/his family.
The unique multidisciplinary breast clinic evaluation helps to determine if the Center’s new technology, Electronic Brachytherapy, will be among the treatment options.
With patients who are candidates for Electronic Brachytherapy, surgeons implant a balloon catheter into the area where the cancerous tumor was removed. The placement of that catheter is verified by radiation oncologists before the patient undergoes treatment. The patient goes through two rounds of treatment daily for five days and can then begin chemotherapy if needed.
Ruth Duthie, 84 of Stratham, NH, was the first patient to utilize Electronic Brachytherapy at Exeter Hospital’s Center for Cancer Care. Ms. Duthie, a former registered nurse for 50 years (22 at Exeter Hospital), previously went through traditional radiation treatment for a separate cancer and can now easily compare the difference in treatments.
“There was no hesitation in deciding about going through Electronic Brachytherapy versus traditional radiation treatment,” said Ms. Duthie. “Having gone through regular radiation treatment for several weeks for another cancer, my first thought about Electronic Brachytherapy was five days is a lot better than seven weeks.”
“During treatment, I did not experience any pain or soreness,” continued Ms. Duthie. “Overall, it was a very positive form of treatment that I would definitely recommend the treatment to candidates. Everyone at the Center has been very helpful and comforting.”
