Canadian doctors are researching a new method to replace whole or partial breast irradiation in breast cancer patients who have recently undergone any breast-preservation surgery.  Using permanent radiation seed implants would eliminate the need for weeks of radiation therapy thereby drastically reducing post surgery care from weeks to a single day.  The use of this alternative method follows a study published January 1, 2006 in the official journal of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO).

Women diagnosed during the first stages of breast cancer usually begin treatment with some form of lumpectomy to remove the cancerous cells.  Then they begin a series of radiation treatments five days a week for eight weeks in an effort to eliminate any remaining cancerous cells the surgery may have left behind.  Doctors have looked for alternate methods in an effort to reduce these follow up sessions.  Some doctors experimented with the use of radiation implants.  These implants were temporary and administered radiation directly into the breast tissue by way of catheter.  The temporary implants allowed doctors to deliver radiation to the affected area twice daily and patients only received treatment for one week.

With this groundbreaking study, radiation oncologists worked to determine whether permanent implants were a viable option.  Doctors successfully used these implants in men for the treatment of prostate cancer, which allowed patients to undergo only one treatment.  Comparable in size to a grain of rice, the implants would deliver radiation to the affected area and would remain in place until the radioactivity contained in them diminished entirely.  There is an additional benefit to the patient as well because there is only one procedure rather than the 10 treatments with the temporary implants. 

Current treatments effectively kill the cancerous cells and keep the cancer in remission.  However, 38 percent of women suffer from side effects that greatly inhibit their daily life.  The experimental treatments show that 44 patients show no signs of cancerous cell growth and significantly less acute skin irritation than is experienced with early radiation methods.

According to the study’s author, Jean-Philippe Pignol, M.D., Ph.D., the purpose of the study was to develop a means of easing the suffering caused by traditional breast cancer treatments.  The seed implants do this by allowing doctors to administer radiation only once, reducing the amount of radiation the healthy breast encounters, and allowing patients to return to a normal life immediately.