NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Findings from a small, short-term study suggest that balloon brachytherapy is an acceptable alternative to external beam radiation for women with operable breast cancer. The shortened treatment time with this therapy may allow more women to select breast conservation therapy (BCT) rather than mastectomy, according to the authors.
Previous reports have shown that in patients with operable breast cancer, BCT followed by whole-breast irradiation is comparable to mastectomy in terms of overall and disease-free survival, according to the report in the June issue of the Archives of Surgery.
However, such radiotherapy is delivered with external beam radiation, which requires 6 weeks of treatment and, therefore, may be inconvenient for older women or those living in areas far from radiation treatment centers. As a result, some women undergo mastectomy simply because of their inability to access radiation therapy.
With balloon brachytherapy, by contrast, the treatment time is decreased to about 1 week. The procedure involves the insertion of a balloon catheter, called the MammoSite applicator, through the skin incision and into the lumpectomy cavity. The balloon is then inflated and radioactive material is instilled to provide radiation to the tumor bed.
In the current study, Dr. Kambiz Dowlatshahi, from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, and colleagues describe the short-term outcomes of 112 women treated with balloon brachytherapy. All of the women were at least 40 years of age and had undergone BCT for in situ and invasive T1-2, N0-1 breast cancer.
Four women had a punctured or ruptured balloon that required replacement before treatment could be completed, the investigators point out.
Seven women developed a wound infection that required drainage and antibiotic therapy, the researchers note. Less serious complications included transient skin erythema in 28 women, localized edema in 3, and peri-balloon skin blisters in 9. After device removal, 10 women had ultrasound-detected seromas that were drained percutaneously, the authors state.
The subjects adjusted quickly to the breast distension caused by the device and rated the cosmetic outcome as high. No disease recurrences were observed during follow-up.
“Brachytherapy with the MammoSite catheter has distinct advantages compared with whole-breast irradiation, including a much shorter treatment time that enables working women and those at a distance from radiation centers to consider breast conservation,” the researchers state.
Source: Arch Intern Med 2004;139:603-608. [ Google search on this article ]
MeSH Headings:Breast Neoplasms: Neoplasms: Neoplasms by Site: DiseasesCopyright © 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.
