Method lowers treatment time for breast cancer

Eileen Perry, a 79-year-old Columbia resident, found a tumor during her annual mammogram in January.

Instead of panicking, she researched treatment options, including surgery, traditional radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

She also discovered an alternative therapy that minimizes radiation exposure and requires less treatment time.

In March, Perry underwent a lumpectomy, and a week and a half later she received the new treatment known as partial-breast irradiation.

“When my doctor said I was the right candidate, I knew I wanted to get that,” Perry said.

Except for a little fatigue after the operation, Perry was fine and said she has not experienced any side effects.

“It was quick, and I had no burning or pain,” Perry said. “In July, I was back on the MKT trail and rode (a bicycle) six miles.”

The new treatment, which is used at Ellis Fischel Cancer Center, was developed to reduce cancer recurrence after a lumpectomy. A lumpectomy involves surgically removing the cancer and a part of the surrounding tissue, rather than the entire breast.

Partial-breast irradiation requires five days of treatment and is considerably shorter than traditional radiation therapy, which can take weeks. Doctors administer the radiation internally using a balloon catheter, which treats only the part of the breast affected by cancer.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the new treatment in 2002. Paul Dale, a surgical oncologist at Ellis Fischel, brought the treatment to Columbia in 2004.

“We usually have two or three breast cancer patients per month who get this treatment,” Dale said. “We’re the only clinic in central Missouri using this technique.”

The treatment also provides good cosmetic results compared with traditional treatment.

“It is designed to destroy the tumor but reduces the risk of burning the tissue,” Dale said. “Patients were really pleased that their breasts were saved.”

Patients are selected based on a number of factors, such as age and the size and type of the tumor. The best candidates, Dale said, are olderand have small tumors that haven’t affected the lymph nodes.

In Columbia, there are few doctors trained to do partial-breast irradiation, but experts expect that to change.

“I am sure the surgeons in private practice in Columbia will start doing this sometime in the near future as well,” said Debra Koivunen, aColumbia surgeon.

Although the number of patients receiving the treatment is increasing, not many people know about it yet, she said.

“It was offered because it is a newer and shorter way to give breast irradiation,” she said. “Patients want it once they know about it.”