ALEXANDRIA, Va. - A local surgeon is among the first in Virginia and metropolitan D.C. to adopt an innovative new device that improves the treatment of breast cancer, by more precisely targeting radiation treatment and providing for better follow-up exams.

Dr. David Weintritt of the National Breast Center has helped pioneer use of the BioZorb™ marker, which is placed during lumpectomy surgery performed to remove the cancer as part of breast conservation therapy.

The unique three-dimensional marker is the first device that identifies in a fixed, 3D manner where the tumor was removed. It helps the radiation oncologist more reliably determine where to aim the radiation.
The marker consists of a spiral made of a bioabsorbable material that holds six titanium clips. The spiral slowly dissolves in the body over the course of a year or more. The tiny marker clips stay in place so the surgical site can be viewed for long-term monitoring.

"One reason this new marker is a great advance is that it allows us to more accurately locate the area where the tumor was removed," said Dr. Weintritt. "As a breast surgeon, I don't have to try to describe to the radiation treatment planners where the tumor was located. The marker is sutured right to the site and shows the radiation oncologist exactly where to focus the beam. Put another way, we can precisely target the cells we need to treat, without endangering healthy ones during radiation therapy."

Breast cancer can be treated by mastectomy (breast removal) or by lumpectomy. With lumpectomy, a small amount of tissue containing the tumor is removed. In addition to the surgery, radiation treatment is typically added to "clean up" any microscopic cancer cells that might remain behind in the breast.

Prior to development of the marker, radiation treatments usually had to be directed at a larger portion of the breast tissue. While this approach is proven to reduce the risk of recurrence, it can also expose healthy tissues to radiation.

"This new device helps us to locate the breast cancer site and see it in three dimensions," said Jane Grayson, M.D., a radiation oncologist who treats many of Dr. Weintritt's patients after surgery. "Identifying the surgical cavity is especially important for women who have chemotherapy before their radiation treatment, when time and healing can obscure the lumpectomy site."

Among local patients who have benefited from the BioZorb device is Janis Monk, 53, an attorney with a federal government agency. In 2014, an abnormality was detected by a routine mammogram. Monk's gynecologist referred her to Dr. Weintritt for her breast cancer surgery. The operation was challenging from a cosmetic standpoint, because of the tumor's location close to the skin.

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