Radiation Therapy of the Breast

Whole Breast Irradiation - External Beam Radiotherapy
For patients treated with breast conserving surgery (lumpectomy or partial mastectomy), the risk of cancer recurrence is significantly reduced by radiation treatments to the remaining breast tissue. This standard of care is well tolerated by patients with minimal side effects. Some patients may experience fatigue or a mild skin reaction after their treatments.

Partial Breast Irradiation
Some patients may be eligible for partial breast radiation therapy. Placement of a balloon catheter in the residual breast cavity can facilitate delivery of radiation via a radioactive seed specifically to the breast tissue adjacent to the tumor site. This technique avoids radiating the entire breast and lasts only 5 days. Your surgeon and/or radiation oncologist can determine if you are a candidate for partial breast irradiation.

Intraoperative Radiation
Radiation delivery in the operating room. A miniature X-ray source delivers a low energy x-ray to a small target. Steep dose fall-off ensures that most of the dose stays in the target tissue. Intraoperative Radiation is only performed at Vassar Brothers Medical Center.

The Dyson Center for Cancer Care is one of only a few sites internationally participating in a clinical research study with Targeted Intra-Operative Radiation Therapy (TARGIT) for the treatment of early-stage breast cancer. For more information please CLICK HERE to go to Health Quest's Research and Clinical Trials home page.

To go to the Radiation/Oncology home page please CLICK HERE.