New Cancer Procedure Eliminates Need For Repeated Radiation Treatments
PEABODY (CBS) - "It was easy. It was simple. It was non-invasive, and I had my life."
Lynn Moriarty of Melrose is talking about her experience with radiation after she was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer last October.
Usually a patient has to return every day for three to six weeks, but Lynn had other things she wanted to do.
So Lynn's doctors at Lahey Medical Center Peabody offered her IORT or intraoperative radiation therapy.
The patient is brought into the operating room. The surgeon removes the tumor and then a sphere on the radiation unit is inserted directly into the surgical cavity where radiation is administered for 30-40 minutes.
If all goes well, the patient is done. No more radiation.
Plus, it allows doctors to focus the radiation only where it's needed and not to surrounding skin and tissue which can be painful and can cause long-term side effects to the heart and lungs.
And for women who live far away, daily radiation may not be an option.
"I really do see this as a huge advance for women on multiple fronts," says Dr. Andrea McKee, a radiation oncologist at Lahey. "From the convenience aspect to the improved health outcomes on a long-term basis to the access issues."
Depending on what the surgeon finds, about 15-20% of women may need additional radiation, but for Lynn, she was finished in the O.R. and couldn't be happier.
"The procedure is liberating," she says. "I can't imagine any woman wanting anything else."
Lahey Medical Center is the only hospital in Massachusetts offering this procedure. Patients must be at least 45 years old and have early stage breast cancer. By delivering only one dose of radiation, it's estimated that this procedure could save millions in healthcare costs.