Researchers at
Virginia Commonwealth University’s Massey
Cancer Center have begun a clinical trial testing the effectiveness of an established balloon
catheter radiation delivery device on the earliest form of
breast cancer, ductal
carcinoma in situ. DCIS occurs when the cells lining the milk ducts become cancerous but have not yet invaded the surrounding breast tissue.
VCU is one of nine sites in the country participating in the clinical trial.
Traditional treatment for DCIS includes a lumpectomy – surgery to remove the tumor – followed by six to seven weeks of whole-breast, external beam radiation or a mastectomy. However, because of the desire to avoid a possible mastectomy and the time, travel and lifestyle demands associated with 6-7 weeks of external beam radiation, a large number of women with DCIS forego radiation treatment.
For the last 2 years, a balloon catheter device for delivering radiation called MammoSite, has been FDA approved for delivering partial breast irradiation. Once a tumor is removed, the balloon is placed in the cavity and inflated. Radiation is then pushed into the balloon to treat the surrounding tissue.
The device enables physicians to deliver an entire course of radiation from inside the breast over a five-day period while minimizing the exposure of healthy tissue. The balloon catheter technique has become the most widely utilized form of partial breast irradiation in the world.