Intraoperative Radiotherapy Might be the Answer
What is Intraoperative Radiotherapy?
Intraoperative Radiotherapy (IORT) of the breast is a form of breast irradiation that is administered as a single treatment during surgery, most commonly immediately following lumpectomy. IORT is considered a practical and safe alternative to standard breast radiation therapy which is commonly given after lumpectomy on a daily basis for approximately 6 Weeks. As a result, IORT makes breast conservation and breast radiotherapy a far more practical and convenient treatment option for women undergoing lumpectomy.
Dennis R. Holmes, M.D. is the Director of Intraoperative Radiotherapy at the Los Angeles Center for Women's Health at California Hospital & Medical Center and one of the world’s leading authorities on IORT of the breast. Dr. Holmes has lectured internationally on IORT and continues to pioneer ground-breaking IORT research as a founding co-chair of the United States Targeted Intraoperative Radiotherapy Steering Committee.
Learn more about Intraoperative Radiotherapy and Standard Breast Radiotherapy
Proof that Intraoperative Radiotherapy Works
Intraoperative Radiotherapy has been used for more than 5 decades to treat cancer in various parts of the body. In the 1990s, several clinical trials were developed to investigate the use of IORT in patients undergoing lumpectomy for the treatment of breast cancer. The largest and most comprehensive of these clinical trials is the TARGIT trial, an international study comparing the effectiveness and safety of IORT (given as a single treatment during surgery) to standard breast radiotherapy (given as 30-35 daily treatments after surgery) in 2200 women treated in 28 hospitals in 9 different countries. At the Los Angeles Center for Women's health, Dr. Holmes was one of the main U.S. participants in the TARGIT trial.
The early results of the TARGIT Trial were published in June 2010 and showed that the IORT was equally effective as standard breast radiotherapy in terms of reducing the risk of cancer recurrence in the breast (called a local recurrence) after lumpectomy. Within 4-years after surgery, only 1% of patients who received IORT experienced local recurrences, and only 1% of patients who received standard breast radiotherapy experienced local recurrences. The two treatments were also found to be equally safe. While the TARGIT will continue to monitor the outcome of participants for 10 years after surgery, these earlier results are excellent proof that IORT is an effective and safe method of administering breast radiation therapy after lumpectomy.
Read the original TARGIT Trial article published in The Lancet, June 2010
Visit International TARGIT Trial
Is IORT Right for You?
If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer and are considering a lumpectomy, IORT may indeed be right for you. IORT may be received at the Los Angeles Center for Women's Health through participation in one of several clinical trials. However, your eligibility for a clinical trial depends upon your particular age, tumor size, tumor features, lymph node status, as well as other factors. To determine your eligibility for IORT, it is necessary that you visit or contact a center where IORT is administered.
Contact Dr. Holmes
Find out if you qualify for one of the IORT clinical trials.
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