Partial Breast Irradiation (PBI) Treatment for Breast Cancer
Dr. Marie Taylor treats patients at
Christian Hospital
11155 Dunn Road, Suite 101E
St. Louis , MO 63136
Phone: 314-653-5255 Fax: 314-653-4283
Siteman Cancer Center
Center for Advanced Medicine
4921 Parkview Place, Lower Level, LL
St. Louis, MO 63110
Phone: 314-747-7236 314-747-9600
Fax: 314-454-5628
___________________________________________________
Question: My wife has breast cancer, thankfully a small tumor that was recently removed. Now her doctors recommend partial breast irradiation. What is this treatment and why would it be necessary?
Answer: Partial breast irradiation (PBI) is a form of radiation treatment that can be given after a person has had a biopsy to remove a small, well localized cancer from the breast.
The treatment concept is that radiation is given only to the biopsy site with a rim of normal breast tissue around the biopsy cavity. Most tumor recurrences in the breast are within centimeters of the original disease site, which is the rationale for PBI.
Not all women with breast cancer can be recommended for this form of treatment. Ideal candidates include women who have had the tumor removed with clear margins and have negative lymph nodes. Certain subtypes of breast cancer cannot be treated with this form of radiation due to risk of additional cancer cells that could be scattered throughout other portions of the breast.
Because the treated area of the breast is small, the radiation dose can be given over a shorter period of time. The treatment is typically given twice a day for one week, giving a total of 9 or 10 treatments overall. Additional advantages of this type of treatment include minimal radiation exposure to heart and lungs.
Partial breast irradiation has been used over the past 10-15 years in clinical trials. Results to date confirm that in well selected persons, partial breast irradiation is as successful as standard breast radiation that is given to the entire breast over a period of 5-6 weeks. Although several PBI techniques are available, they all share the primary advantage of a shorter treatment schedule with improved convenience of treatment.
Additional clinical trials are ongoing to further characterize the types of breast cancer that can be well treated with this type of therapy. Women seeking advice about breast cancer treatment can be advised by their radiation oncologist as to whether or not they are a candidate for this type of treatment program.
Christian Hospital
11155 Dunn Road, Suite 101E
St. Louis , MO 63136
Phone: 314-653-5255 Fax: 314-653-4283
Siteman Cancer Center
Center for Advanced Medicine
4921 Parkview Place, Lower Level, LL
St. Louis, MO 63110
Phone: 314-747-7236 314-747-9600
Fax: 314-454-5628
___________________________________________________
Question: My wife has breast cancer, thankfully a small tumor that was recently removed. Now her doctors recommend partial breast irradiation. What is this treatment and why would it be necessary?
Answer: Partial breast irradiation (PBI) is a form of radiation treatment that can be given after a person has had a biopsy to remove a small, well localized cancer from the breast.
The treatment concept is that radiation is given only to the biopsy site with a rim of normal breast tissue around the biopsy cavity. Most tumor recurrences in the breast are within centimeters of the original disease site, which is the rationale for PBI.
Not all women with breast cancer can be recommended for this form of treatment. Ideal candidates include women who have had the tumor removed with clear margins and have negative lymph nodes. Certain subtypes of breast cancer cannot be treated with this form of radiation due to risk of additional cancer cells that could be scattered throughout other portions of the breast.
Because the treated area of the breast is small, the radiation dose can be given over a shorter period of time. The treatment is typically given twice a day for one week, giving a total of 9 or 10 treatments overall. Additional advantages of this type of treatment include minimal radiation exposure to heart and lungs.
Partial breast irradiation has been used over the past 10-15 years in clinical trials. Results to date confirm that in well selected persons, partial breast irradiation is as successful as standard breast radiation that is given to the entire breast over a period of 5-6 weeks. Although several PBI techniques are available, they all share the primary advantage of a shorter treatment schedule with improved convenience of treatment.
Additional clinical trials are ongoing to further characterize the types of breast cancer that can be well treated with this type of therapy. Women seeking advice about breast cancer treatment can be advised by their radiation oncologist as to whether or not they are a candidate for this type of treatment program.
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