Lance R. Bryce, MD, PC » Canyon Surgical Clinic :: Surgical Proceedures

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The current standard of care for treatment of breast cancer following lumpectomy is whole breast radiation. This requires the patient to return for radiology treatments daily for five to eight weeks.

Breast Radiation Catheters - More precise than conventional radiation therapy, accelerated partial breast irradiation or, APBI, delivers a more concentrated dose of radiation to the site of the Breast Radiation Catheters - More precise than conventional radiation therapy allows breast cancer patients requiring radiation therapy after a lumpectomy to be treated in five days. tumor while reducing the risk of damage to surrounding healthy breast tissue.

SenoRx has developed Contura™, a multi-lumen radiation balloon applicator for accelerated partial breast irradiation. The radiation balloon uses vacuum to remove excess fluid and to adhere closely to often irregularly shaped lumpectomy cavities in order to deliver precise radiation dosing through multiple seed lumens. Treatment time is reduced to days versus weeks, and accurate, targeted radiation dosing decreases potential recurrence of cancer cells in the lumpectomy site.

With the advanced multi-lumen design, more accurate treatment is achieved. Certain patients who are presently candidates for balloon therapy are currently excluded because of the location of the lesion relative to their breast size. The multi-lumen approach offers a solution to this problem.

The Contura Brachytherapy procedure is a partial-breast radiation treatment that allows breast cancer patients requiring radiation therapy after a lumpectomy to be treated in five days, rather than six to seven weeks for whole-breast irradiation.

Radiation therapy is given to most patients who have a lumpectomy for breast cancer, to kill cancer cells or prevent them from reproducing or spreading. Whole breast irradiation uses a radiation source outside the body to treat the cancer site, typically involving daily treatments for six days per week over a six-to seven-week period.

Many breast cancer patients may be appropriate candidates for alternatives to whole breast radiation treatment known as partial breast irradiation or breast brachytherapy, a technique for delivering internally targeted radiation. Breast brachytherapy delivers radiation to the breast tissue surrounding the lumpectomy cavity rather than to the entire breast.

The Contura is a small balloon-based device implanted into the breast to treat the tissue surrounding the cavity left by lumpectomy surgery. After being inserted, the balloon is inflated and filled with saline; vacuum is used to help the balloon fit closely within the often irregularly shaped lumpectomy cavity. Then a radiation seed is sent through five separate "lumens" or channels inside the balloon, allowing the radiation dose to be "contoured" to reach the targeted area. The dose is directed by where the seed sits in the balloon, allowing the physician to concentrate the radiation dose on the tumor area.

Before the introduction of Contura in 2007, balloon brachytherapy was available with only a single channel for delivery of the radiation seed. Some breast cancer patients who were possible candidates for the therapy were excluded because the location of the lesion relative to their breast size did not allow appropriate placement of the radiation seed to minimize radiation dose to the skin, chest wall or ribs.

Contura Multi-Lumen Balloon Brachytherapy was developed to address this problem by using five separate channels to place the radiation seed. It also employs vacuum suction to help the balloon fit closely within the often irregularly shaped lumpectomy cavity, so the targeted areas receive the prescribed therapeutic dose. This innovative method of breast cancer treatment has improved the delivery of the radiation to the breast cancer.

The multiple channels of the Contura and its vacuum feature help the physician to shape or contour the radiation dose, to obtain a more optimal result, better targeting the radiation to the areas in most need of treatment.

Additional Resources

Breast Radiation Catheters - WebMD.com website
Contura Multi-Lumen Balloon - SenoRx Website
All About Breast Cancer - American Cancer Society Website
Radiation Therapy - American Cancer Society Website
Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer - RT Answers Website
BreastCancer.org - Breast Cancer Treatment Information and Pictures
Susan G. Komen Foundation - Susan G. Komen for the Cure, to save lives and end breast cancer forever by empowering people,
ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to find the cures.
Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization - Breast Cancer Network of Strength (Formerly Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization)

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