WAKEFIELD, Mass., Nov. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Elizabeth Edwards, wife of former vice presidential candidate John Edwards, was just diagnosed with invasive ductal breast cancer. Now, Edwards must weigh the options between old tried- and-true, and next-generation breast cancer treatments.
An estimated 216,000 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, according to the American Cancer Society and one in seven will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. And, invasive ductal cancer accounts for about 60-80 percent of all breast cancers.
Cancerous tumors are often treated with a combination of a lumpectomy followed by external beam radiation therapy. While this has been proven to be equally effective as mastectomy, it requires 5-7 weeks of daily treatments. This is tolerated well, but the logistics of travel to and from a cancer treatment center may be daunting for some patients, particularly those who live in rural areas.
An emerging trend in the treatment of breast cancer involves the use of a temporarily inserted radioactive source, termed Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation (APBI). Small plastic tubes are inserted in the region of the breast that contained the tumor, done at the time of surgery. The patient then undergoes a series of 15-minute treatments, typically twice per day for one week, which inserts a wire with a radioactive source at the tip. The radiation is emitted no further than a few centimeters, killing any remaining tumor cells in the area, yet minimizing radiation dose to other healthy tissues.
While the long-term effectiveness of this technique is still being evaluated, results thus far indicate similar high cure rates as when external radiation is applied. The advantage for APBI is completion of the therapy in one week rather than 5-7 weeks. This offers another way of treating the cancer, but preserving the breast itself.
“Research at many centers worldwide now indicates a low risk of local recurrence with APBI,” says Dr. James R. Gray, Radiation Oncologist at the Sarah Cannon Cancer Center in Nashville. “This treatment is well tolerated, with none of the nausea or hair loss more commonly seen with chemotherapy. There is minimal to no pain associated with the treatments. Many patients prefer or perhaps require the shorter treatment duration, depending upon where they live and receive treatment,” adds Dr. Gray. Other than during the short treatments, the patient is not radioactive and poses no risk to her family.
“Our company is advancing this treatment (APBI) with the development of a lower energy radiation source that has the potential to ultimately replace current post-lumpectomy treatments that are only offered in large teaching hospitals with large concrete facilities,” says CEO Dr. Anthony J. Armini, of Implant Sciences Inc. “Our low energy source does not require an expensive concrete radiation facility and can allow small community hospitals around the country and around the world to offering APBI for all women.”
“If APBI is a viable option for Elizabeth Edwards, she has the potential to get back into the fold of family and friends and plan the next stage of her life sooner than expected,” says Dr. Gray.
Implant Sciences Inc.
CONTACT: Janet Vasquez of The Investor Relations Group,+1-212-825-3210, for Implant Sciences Inc.