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Comparing catheters for early stage breast brachytherapy

by Gus Iversen, Editor in Chief | October 29, 2014

The BC5 Project

The BC5 Project is a consortium of predominately radiotherapy companies that have set out to help spread the word on brachytherapy as a viable option for patients diagnosed with early stage breast cancer.

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"One size doesn't fit all," said Hong, "and in terms of cancer treatments, particularly early stage breast cancer, we're entering an era where we're individualizing treatments and considering things outside of merely cancer control when making a treatment decision." The BC5 aims to empower women to recognize their choices.

Sometimes, an internal therapy allows the patient more freedom to continue living their normal life. "Brachytherapy came about in large part because there were people in rural locations where it was prohibitive for women to come back and forth for several weeks to complete their course of breast conserving surgery plus radiation," said Hong. "If you can't make it due to those barriers then it may be more sensible to have a mastectomy, but then you're letting factors outside medicine dictate your treatment choices." In metropolitan areas, Hong sees women choosing brachytherapy because it allows them to stay on top of their busy schedules.

Just another tool in the toolbox

"My data has shown that these women have uniformly good to excellent cosmetic outcomes," said Hong, who also described brachytherapy as a five day treatment. He says those factors become increasingly relevant when one considers brachytherapy is the equivalent to beam therapy in terms of early stage breast cancer treatment success.

"Brachytherapy is just another tool in our toolbox in the fight against cancer," said Hong. "Not everyone needs it, it's not a cure-all, but in certain clinical circumstances it's an equivalent option to external beam therapy. I think it's imperative that these women have knowledge that brachytherapy is an alternative to a standard course of whole breast radiation therapy over multiple weeks. It's about knowledge and empowerment."

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