Patients with small breast tumors which have not spread to the lymph nodes benefit most from MammoSite^® therapy.

Following a lumpectomy, your surgeon inserts a balloon-tipped catheter into the cavity where the tumor was.

After implanting the catheter, your surgeon will inflate the balloon. A part of the catheter remains outside the breast and is dressed before you are sent home. You will then receive radiation treatment that will be administered through the catheter and into the balloon.

For each treatment, a radiation seed is temporarily delivered into the balloon via the catheter. This delivers radiation therapy from inside the breast and places the radiation source close to the tissue most at-risk for tumor recurrence.

The therapy usually takes five days, with two treatments given each day. The catheter is typically removed after 7 to 10 days.

MammoSite^® RTS has not been used long enough to answer this question. However, it has been shown to be safe and is approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

External beam radiation to the entire breast is the standard of care. Radiation to a portion of the breast using multiple catheters has been studied for about ten years and seems to be as effective as external beam radiation in certain stages of breast cancer. Because the treatment delivered by the MammoSite^® RTS is similar to what is delivered with multiple catheters, we would expect it to be as effective. As an extra precaution, we carefully select patients for MammoSite^® RTS treatment to ensure they are the best candidates for this type of breast radiation.

Clinical trial results have shown patients can experience minor breast-related side effects such as redness, bruising, and breast pain. In rare cases, the skin overlying the catheter develops a temporary ulceration. Some patients also experience drainage from the insertion site. These side effects, which are common to any kind of breast radiation therapy or surgery, usually last only a few weeks.

Radiation therapy with internal radiation is an accepted form of treatment for breast cancer and is covered by most insurers. Specific coverage for the MammoSite^® RTS will depend on your individual health plan.

This information is provided by Wake Radiology Oncology's Doctors, Nurses, and Technologists.  It was added to this site on November 12, 2003 and last updated on March 13, 2006.