New Treatment for Breast Cancer Could Help Some Women Avoid Surgery

Most women diagnosed with early stage breast cancer typically have surgery to remove the tumor, followed by three to six weeks of radiation. But there’s an exciting new development in breast cancer treatment – a first-of-its kind radiation therapy system for early stage cancers that may cut the number of treatments to only a few days. And, one day, the inventors say, it might even eliminate the need for surgery altogether for some patients. It’s called the GammaPod, invented by scientists at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently cleared the way for the GammaPod to be used to treat patients with early stage breast cancer, along with surgery to remove the tumor. A treatment machine that looks like a pod and uses gamma radiation, it has the power to hit a tumor with higher doses of radiation than standard radiation therapy and the precision to avoid damaging the rest of the breast and important organs such as the heart and lungs. “The GammaPod has the potential to significantly shorten the treatment time to a few sessions or possibly even one treatment,” says inventor Cedric X. Yu, DSc, a clinical professor of radiation oncology. “We envision that one day we’ll be able to neutralize a tumor with a high dose of focused radiation instead of removing it with a scalpel. “This approach would spare patients the negative side effects of surgery and prolonged radiation treatments, significantly improving thei...
Source: Life in a Medical Center - Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: Tags: Cancer breast cancer cancer treatment Cedric X. Yu Elizabeth Nichols GammaPod UMMC Source Type: blogs