Breast Cancer

At Wellington Regional's Comprehensive Women's Imaging Center, women have the benefit of excellent early detection and treatment options. The expertise, technology and range of services available to women at the Center help ensure high quality care. The mission is to provide comprehensive care to women with benign and malignant breast disease using an interdisciplinary approach, to provide high quality patient care and health promotion. The staff works closely in consultation and collaboration with radiology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, pathology, cytology, psychiatry and social services to provide a personalized comprehensive care plan to meet the patient's needs.

In addition to diagnosis and treatment, the Comprehensive Women's Imaging Center offers education and support to the patient and family.

Breast Conservation Therapy with MammoSite

Mammosite

The treatment of breast cancer has become increasingly less invasive over the last several decades. More women than ever are opting for breast conservation therapy rather than a more invasive mastectomy. Still, there are some statistics that may surprise you:

Up to 40% of women who are eligible for Breast Conservation Therapy still opt for a more invasive mastectomy.*
An estimated 25% of women who opt for Breast Conservation Therapy, choose not to receive radiation therapy as part of their treatment protocol. Despite the fact that radiation is proven to significantly decrease the risk of cancer recurrence, some patients find it difficult to complete an almost two month course of radiation therapy. It may be difficult to take the time off from work or other responsibilities, or treatment centers may be far from home.

A five-day treatment option for your patients

The MammoSite Radiation Therapy System facilitates the delivery of partial breast irradiation (PBI). For delivering targeted radiation, MammoSite is now considered the technology of choice since dose conformity and adjacent normal tissue sparing can be simultaneously optimized. Since becoming available in early 2002, thousands of women have opted for the benefits of MammoSite, the most widely used method of PBI.

The MammoSite device is placed at the time of lumpectomy or during a separate procedure post-lumpectomy. The balloon can be inflated to variable sizes to accommodate the individual cavity and the prescribed dosage of radiation is inserted into the balloon. When used as primary radiation therapy, two treatments are administered each day, for five days, to deliver the prescribed radiation dose. When used as a boost with external beam radiation, a typical prescription requires one treatment for four days.

Once the therapy is concluded, the balloon is deflated and the catheter is removed.

Benefits of MammoSite:

Radiation therapy can be completed in five days.
MammoSite places the radiation source inside the lumpectomy cavity, delivering radiation to the area where cancer is most likely to recur.
The amount of radiation to healthy tissue is limited, reducing the potential for side effects.
The therapy is given on an outpatient basis.
Studies have shown cosmetic results to be good/excellent in 88% of patients.
Patient satisfaction has been overwhelmingly positive.

For more than a decade, a number of institutions have investigated the use of PBI as an alternative to whole breast external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) with favorable results. Reported local recurrence rates are low and well within recurrence rates documented for patients treated with whole breast EBRT. No statistically significant differences were noted between patients with PBI or EBRT in the rates of local recurrence or overall survival. The rate of local recurrence in the patients treated with PBI was 1.0%.

For more information, please contact The Regional Cancer Center at Wellington at 561-793 6500.

*National Cancer Institute, 2001.

Early Detection Guidelines

Warning Signs:

A lump or thickening in the breast or under the arm.
A change in the size or shape of the breast.
Discharge from the nipple.
A change in the color or feel of the skin of the breast or nipple area (such as dimpling, puckering or scaliness).

Just ten minutes a month could save a woman's life.

When breast cancer is found and treated early before it has spread beyond the breast, the five-year survival rate is as high as 90%.

A mammogram can detect a lump up to two years before it can be felt. If breast cancer is detected early, before it spreads, 94% of cases can be treated successfully.

Women must take a total approach in detecting breast cancer including:

Regular breast self-examinations
Annual screening mammogram beginning at age 40. Women with higher than average risk for breast cancer should seek expert medical advice about beginning screening before age 40.
Annual clinical breast exams
Treatment and support; knowing your options and getting the right help once breast cancer is diagnosed.

Note: The information on this Web site is provided as general health guidelines and may not be applicable to your particular health condition. Your individual health status and any required medical treatments can only be properly addressed by a professional healthcare provider of your choice. Remember: There is no adequate substitution for a personal consultation with your physician. Neither Wellington Regional Medical Center, or any of their affiliates, nor any contributors shall have any liability for the content or any errors or omissions in the information provided by this Web site.

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