AccuBoost for Breast Radiotherapy
Women with early stage breast cancer increasingly choose breast conservation therapy (BCT). In the BCT option, the cancerous tumor is surgically removed in a procedure known as lumpectomy. To minimize the chances of the cancer recurrence, physicians recommend a course of follow-up treatments which always include radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy and/or hormonal therapy.
Radiation therapy is used to effectively “sterilize” any residual cancerous or pre-cancerous microscopic tissue that may exist in the vicinity of the tumor. Radiation therapy is an indispensable part of the BCT procedure. Radiation of the breast tissue can be performed by different techniques. The established standard-of-care for breast radiotherapy is whole breast irradiation (WBI). This is a procedure that is performed daily for a period of 6-7 weeks after surgery. An important part of the WBI process is the delivery of a higher localized dose, known as the “boost dose”, to the lumpectomy cavity margin – the most likely site for cancer recurrence. AccuBoost is designed to target and deliver the all-important boost dose accurately and reliably.
How Does AccuBoost Work?
The AccuBoost dose delivered in this process is uniform, homogeneous and is accurately targeted to the breast tissue which, if left untreated, is the most likely sites for cancer recurrence.AccuBoost’s step-by-step diagrams:
Step 1: Select Target & Applicator Size
The breast is slightly compressed (immobilized), then imaged to locate the lumpectomy cavity and determine the size and position of the applicator to be used for delivering the radiation.
Step 2: Vertical Treatment
Radiation is delivered in both vertical directions.
Step 3: Horizontal Treatment
The breast is immobilized in a different (horizontal) orientation, an image is taken to locate the lumpectomy cavity and to select the applicator size, then radiation is delivered in the both horizontal directions.
Step 4: Overlapping Treatment
The dose builds up in the tissue where the two treatments overlap – everywhere else receives a lower dose.
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