A New Option When Making An Important Decision

Women with early stage breast cancer increasingly choose to treat the cancer and save their breast. Breast conservation therapy (BCT) starts with the surgical removal of cancerous tissue in a procedure known as lumpectomy. The "Gold Standard" of treatment is to then follow the lumpectomy with radiation. There are two well established radiation therapy approaches that are well accepted and show excellent clinical results, either External Beam Radiation Therapy followed by a "Boost" of localized radiation or a technique called Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation or APBI. Numerous studies show that women with early stage disease have a clear option to preserve the breast and fight off the cancer. In either approach, AccuBoost® offers an image-guided, non-invasive option to women choosing to preserve their breast.

AccuBoost® for Boost

External Beam therapy is a tried and true technology for breast treatment. In the "Gold Standard" approach, after 3 to 6 weeks of daily sessions delivering radiation to the whole breast, this is followed by the "all important" boost dose, whereby a higher dose of radiation is delivered to the margin of tissue that originally surrounded the cancerous tissue as this is the most likely site of recurrence.

AccuBoost® for APBI

Over the past 10-20 years, a new option for radiation therapy after lumpectomy has arisen. This technique, referred to as APBI, delivers the radiation over a period of 5 to 10 days typically and delivers the radiation only to the tissue surrounding the lumpectomy site. This approach may be well suited to active working women or women at a long distance from a treatment center.

The Benefits of AccuBoost®

Regardless of the treatment approach you elect, the following benefits are typical of patients treated with this technology:

  • Accurate targeting of the dose
  • Non-invasive radiation delivery in a simple outpatient procedure
  • Low skin dose and skin complications
  • Low toxicity and excellent cosmetic results
  • Radiation is delivered parallel to the chest wall sparing unintentional exposure to the heart and lungs
  • Conformal radiation field matches the target size, shape, and location
  • Uniform and homogeneous radiation field
  • Excellent reliability and reproducibility in patient positioning and process control
  • Less exposure to healthy tissue allows for better cosmetic outcomes

AccuBoost®'s Strive for Perfection

AccuBoost® is the latest innovation in breast radiotherapy that enables your radiation oncologist to achieve the goal of targeting the dose to the lumpectomy cavity margin - the tissue that is the most likely site of future recurrence. Treatment enabled by AccuBoost® technology combines a noninvasive method of delivering a well-focused beam with the power of real-time image guidance to target the radiation dose accurately and reliably to the surgical excision site (target tissue). Additionally, the AccuBoost® process strongly limits unintentional exposure to otherwise healthy tissue and minimizes radiation-related side effects.

Make an appointment to connect with a professional and learn more about this treatment.