Update-MammoSite Targeted Radiation Therapy

Two years ago, Buddy Check 9 reported on a new radiation therapy at Georgetown Univeristy Hospital called Mammosite. Instead of weeks of radiation and all the debilitating effects that keep you from getting back to normal sooner, MammoSite does it in less than a week.

The 5-day targeted radiation therapy is now available at George Washington University & Howard University Hospitals.

One of our Buddy Check 9 viewers was so impressed with how well Mammosite worked for her friend that she emailed me and asked that we share this good breast health news with all of you.

Survivor Carmen lives in Northern Virginia . In addition to working as an early childhood specialist, Carmen is also a wife and busy mother of two. One thing that Carmen never planned for was getting breast cancer. However, earlier this year, she did. Having two daughters to care for, Carmen’s main concern was what her diagnosis meant as far as her chances of survival and the impact breast cancer was going to have on her family. Thanks to Carmen’s diligence in going for an annual mammogram, she was diagnosed in the early stages and received a very positive prognosis. Her breast surgeon, Dr. Christine Teal at the Breast Care Center at George Washington University Hospital, informed her she was a perfect candidate for a newer, less invasive and time consuming treatment option. Carmen was familiar with standard radiation therapy, or whole breast radiation, which takes about six weeks of daily treatments to complete and involves radiating the entire breast. However, she didn’t want to miss weeks of work, and she worried the radiation treatments would make her very fatigued and interfere with her caring for her family. Dr. Teal told Carmen about an alternative radiation therapy called MammoSite, which is ideal for early stage breast cancer patients. With MammoSite, treatment is completed in five days and radiation exposure to the rest of the breast, skin, ribs, lungs and heart is minimized because it is delivered internally (in the area surrounding where the lump was removed). MammoSite was cleared for use by the FDA in May 2002, and more than 35,000 patients have been treated to date. The first five year data on MammoSite showed there have been no local cancer recurrences among women in the study who completed follow up. Being diagnosed with breast cancer was an overwhelming experience so getting through the treatment quickly and being able to get back to her normal life was important to Carmen.

Thanks for being a Buddy and for sharing your friend Carmen's story with Buddy Check 9. To see how Mammosite targeted radiation works, click here.
To talk with other patients who've used Mammosite check out this site - www.VoicesofMammoSite.com. It's a new online resource for newly diagnosed breast cancer patients who are thinking about getting MammoSite and want to connect with breast cancer survivors and hear about their experiences with the treatment.

And if you're reading this blog, I'd like to hear from you too; share or comment on my Blog. Something you say or do might help another Buddy.