New breast cancer treatment less invasive, speeds healing
BY MICHELLE L. START Florida Weekly Correspondent

COURTESY PHOTO The MammoSite technique is a more efficient way of delivering radiation treatment, said Fort Myers Dr. Jeffrey Lewis, who has been doing the procedure for three years.

It was supposed to be the typical annual mammogram exam, but instead Fort Myers resident Jean Cromley learned that she had breast cancer.

"I had no idea that anything was wrong," said Cromley, 68.

Within two weeks of her diagnosis, Cromley was receiving radiation treatment directly in the affected area through MammoSite. Although approved by the FDA in 2002, results of a five year study involving 43 patients were recently presented at a national meeting of breast surgeons. Of those treated with MammoSite, 83 percent reported excellent cosmetic outcomes and said they would recommend the technique.

In the MammoSite technique, the cancer and some adjacent normal breast tissue are removed and a cavity is created. An uninflated MammoSite balloon catheter is inserted into the cavity and radiation is sent directly to the cavity twice a day for five days.

In contrast, patients undergoing traditional treatment get radiation once a day for seven weeks.

"It is a more efficient way of delivering radiation treatment," said Fort Myers Dr. Jeffrey Lewis, who has been doing the procedure for three years. "It is an effective treatment. There is a lot less trauma, there is quicker healing time and it is well tolerated."

The recurrence rate for traditional therapy and MammoSite are both about 4 percent, according to Lewis. Cromley, who was facing her third bout with cancer, opted to have the MammoSite treatment done in July.

"It was a very simple procedure," she said. "The MammoSite is just a wonderful thing. It was a tiny port, I had to lay on a table. They sent the seed in and then they would take it out, etc. It was a clean shot. There was a little sensation, but no pain. It was a painless procedure."

While more than 35,000 people have undergone the technique since it received FDA clearance, the treatment is not available to everyone. In order to qualify, the cancer has to be located within a certain area of the breast, measure less than 1 1/3 inches in diameter and have not spread to the lymph nodes. Additionally, it is not available to women under 50.

Lewis said that about 40 percent of the patients he sees undergo MammoSite. Annually, he does about 60 MammoSite treatments.

"It has worked out well," he said. "We are seeing very good results so far."