Certain women who are diagnosed with breast cancer may qualify for an HDR procedure called Partial Breast Irradiation. Qualifying depends largely on the size, stage and location of the tumor. A consultation with your radiation oncologist will be needed to help determine if you are a candidate for this procedure. Partial Breast Irradiation is a collaborative effort between a general surgeon and radiation oncologist.

Coborn Cancer Center offers two types of Partial Breast Irradiation:
MammoSite, which uses a single lumen catheter; and
SenoRx, which uses a multi-lumen catheter.

Your doctor will determine which treatment is most appropriate for you.

A surgical lumpectomy and catheter placement by a surgeon is required prior to the actual radiation treatment. The catheter provides an access for the radiation source to enter the breast and irradiate the area where the tumor was. The catheter remains in the breast for the entire time that the radiation treatments are taking place.

The actual radiation procedure takes place in a special suite at the Coborn Cancer Center. Within a few days after the lumpectomy and catheter placement, the patient will be scheduled to come to the radiation department at the Coborn Cancer Center for an imaging CT scan. After the CT scan, the radiation oncologist and physicist will need some time to plan the treatment (usually takes 1-2 days to plan).

Once the plan is complete, the patient will begin coming in for treatments. The patient will come to the radiation department for treatment twice a day for 5 consecutive days (total of 10 treatments). Each treatment will last approximately 20 minutes. The patient will be able to carry on normal activities of daily life throughout the entire course of treatment. After completion of the final treatment, the catheter will be removed, a small bandage will be put in place, and the patient will be free to go home with minimal restrictions.

Most patients describe the procedure as painless with the exception of some pressure felt within the breast where the catheter is situated.

MammoSite illustration
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SenoRx illustration
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