Radiotherapy is a fundamental component in the conservative treatment of breast cancer. Its addition to conservative surgery, also called “quadrantectomy”, allows, in many cases, to avoid mastectomy, that is, the extraction of the entire gland. Usually, the treatment consists of the indication of between 15 and 30 applications (one per day) of external radiation, for which the patient must attend a radiation center for almost a month after surgery.
With the intraoperative modality, radiotherapy is completely integrated into organ-conserving surgery in the same surgical procedure, through a single dose of rays directly to the site where the tumor was located.
The benefits of advanced technique are multiple. On the one hand, it eliminates the delay between surgery and the start of external radiotherapy and, on the other, it replaces attendance at daily sessions, with the complexity that this usually brings: from mobilization to the treatment center to even the anguish or stress that is often derived from attendance and waiting itself.
For patients from the interior of the country, it is a very practical tool because it drastically shortens stay times and enables access to those who, perhaps, do not live near a radiation center or do not have this methodology in their surroundings.
Another benefit is that it involves the administration of a single dose to the precise location where the tumor was located. This is very important because it minimizes unnecessary radiation to healthy tissues and attenuates associated adverse effects such as fatigue and even, to a certain extent, changes at the skin level.
Multiple studies have shown that this modality is comparable in terms of effectiveness and safety in women over 50 years of age, with tumors with certain criteria: they must be in the initial stage, typically less than 3 centimeters, and meet some requirements of low aggressiveness, which represents a large proportion of patients who undergo periodic mammographic controls.
Thus, the patient avoids the accumulation of radiation applications. In most cases, the treatment is considered resolved only with the dose received intraoperatively.
In a small number of cases, it may be advisable to complete it with a few sessions of external radiation if there are any postoperative pathological findings that warrant it.
More than 100 women have already been treated with this modality, with excellent tolerance, at the Italian Hospital, and with equipment specifically designed for this purpose. An advantage is that it has also demonstrated its application for other cases of cancer, which is why its use could be extended to other pathologies.
Gynecologist, specialist in breast pathology, Italian Hospital of Buenos Aires.
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
