The SAVI™
applicator for breast
brachytherapy is a safe, effective therapy for breast cancer,
according to a newly published study in a peer-reviewed journal. The
study showed that SAVI’s unique design provides fewer complications,
excellent cosmetic results, outstanding dosimetry and increases the
number of women eligible for breast brachytherapy.
The study
was conducted by researchers at the Moores
UCSD Cancer Center and published in the October-December 2009 issue
of the prestigious Brachytherapy journal.
Researchers found that radiation exposure for healthy tissue was
“exceedingly low” because of the multi-catheter design of SAVI. No
serious complications were reported, including no symptomatic persistent
seromas, no persistent edema or breast pain. There was one case of
asymptomatic fat necrosis reported at the 18-month follow-up mammogram.
There were no local recurrences of cancer.
The study was a retrospective review of the first 30 patients to receive
treatment with SAVI at the Moores UCSD Cancer Center. The median
follow-up for the subjects was 12 months.
“Great progress has been made in breast brachytherapy technology,” said
lead author Catheryn
Yashar, M.D. “With SAVI, we seem to have a device that overcomes
some of the most significant drawbacks of other methods. The device’s
versatility means that many more women can take advantage of the
convenience of breast brachytherapy, and be confident in its safety and
results.”
Yashar is associate professor of radiation oncology at the UC San Diego
School of Medicine and chief of breast and gynecological radiation
services at the Moores UCSD Cancer Center.