Electron Intraoperative Radiotherapy Can Reduce Six-Week Radiation Cycles to One Day

A US medical center has implemented an electron beam intraoperative radiation therapy (e-IORT) into its breast care program in an effort to minimize treatment time without losing their level of healthcare.

The Liac [light intraoperative accelerator]12 is an electron beam IORT mobile linear system that delivers a single fraction of radiation to a tumor bed during surgery. The technology was developed by Sordina, SpA (Vicenza, Italy). e-IORT can provide specialized treatment for cancer patients, especially women with breast cancer, enabling physicians to deliver a single dose of radiation to patients during their surgery. By delivering this radiation at the same time the cancerous tissue is removed, six weeks of postoperative radiation can be reduced to one day of treatment in some cases.

“We understand how important our patients are not only to their loved ones, but also to this community as a whole,” said John A.P. Rimmer, MD, medical director, Jupiter Medical Center’s (Jupiter, FL, USA) Kristin Hoke Breast Health Program. “Being able to get state-of-the-art care close to home means that the women we treat get back to their healthy, productive lives much faster, without compromising any quality whatsoever.”

There are many advantages in utilizing e-IORT for breast cancer patients, such as compressed treatment time, reduced radiation exposure, and a more rapid return to a normal quality of life. e-IORT allows radiation and surgical oncologists to target the precise area they need to radiate and immediately deliver a therapeutic dose to the affected area, sparing surrounding healthy tissue.

While the e-IORT will be first used for breast cancer, Jupiter Medical Center plans to employ the technology for other gynecologic tumors such as uterine, cervical, and ovarian. In addition, lung, colorectal, and gastrointestinal (e.g., pancreatic, esophagus, gastric, and liver) cancer patients will also be candidates for the technology.

“Not only does this reduce the time of radiation treatment from six or seven weeks, it protects the body from unnecessary radiation to healthy tissue,” stated Anthony E. Addesa, MD, medical director of radiation oncology at Jupiter Medical Center’s Ella Milbank Foshay Cancer Center. “In addition to the clear health benefits of this cutting-edge treatment, it also means no skin changes, no fibrosis, no scarring, and no hardening of the skin or other tissues. At the end of the day, it translates into excellent outcomes for our patients and our community as a whole.”

For some women, one dose will be all that is required. For other patients, the technology will slash the required course of radiation treatment by 50%. Breast cancer patients who are currently eligible for the one-day treatment plan include women more than 60 years of age, with tumors less than 2 cm in size, are estrogen receptor-positive, and their lymph nodes are negative for cancer metastasis.

Related Links:
Jupiter Medical Center
Sordina