As a leading provider of comprehensive breast care in the region and one of the highest volume breast centers in New York State, Rochester Regional Health’s Breast Center and the Lipson Cancer Institute are committed to bringing leading-edge breast cancer treatment to patients, helping them redefine the odds and get back to living full, healthy lives.
Intraoperative Radiation Therapy is proof of this commitment. Being the first in Western New York to offer IORT, we use an entire team of experts who customize their treatment for every patient, every time.
What is Intraoperative Radiation Therapy?
Intraoperative Radiation Therapy, or IORT, is a single session of low-energy, high-dose targeted radiation administered directly into the tumor site at the time of lumpectomy.
After the lumpectomy, a spherical applicator on the IORT device is placed directly into the tumor bed and delivers a smaller dose of x-rays than is transported in standard radiation therapy.
Who is a Candidate for IORT?
Breast cancer patients who would normally undergo a lumpectomy followed by radiation therapy are ideal candidates for IORT. Candidates typically:
- are in early stages of breast cancer
- are over the age of 50
- have small tumors, typically 3 centimeters or smaller
At the Rochester Regional Health Breast Center, each patient is evaluated by a team of experts across specialized fields, including surgery and radiation therapy. Together, we'll determine the most effective approach for treating your cancer.
We offer numerous types of advanced radiation therapies, each with its own benefits and risks, and we'll guide you through a customized treatment plan based on your unique condition.
Benefits of IORT
For many women, IORT offers numerous benefits over external beam radiation therapy:
- Saves time and stress: Radiation is given immediately at the time of surgery, allowing patients to complete the therapy sooner, which also helps reduce physical and psychological stress.
- Convenient: Takes just one 30-minute session, as opposed to daily radiation for up to six weeks. For most patients who undergo IORT, there are typically no return trips for radiation, meaning less time away from work and family.
- Targeted: The radiation dose is much smaller, and is given directly and internally to the sections of the breast with the biggest risks of cancer reoccurrence.
- Decreased side effects: Nearby organs and tissues receive less radiation, resulting in fewer side effects.
Accordion
Unlike traditional radiation therapy, side effects from IORT are rare. Any side effects are often related to the surgery itself and undergoing general anesthesia rather than radiation therapy. It is possible to experience redness or skin irritation near the incision site. Your care team will explain all possible risks or side effects before your procedure.
If IORT has been recommended for you, you’ll likely be taken through the following steps:
- You will be put under anesthesia in the operating room.
- While you are asleep, your surgeon will perform the lumpectomy, by making an incision in your breast and removing the tumor.
- Once the tumor is removed, your doctor will place the applicator of the IORT device directly into the opening where the tumor was (the “tumor bed”).
- Through the applicator, a dose of radiation will be delivered directly to the tumor bed. The treatment can take about 30 minutes.
- Your surgeon will then close the incision.
Some women undergoing conventional radiation treatment may have the choice of receiving IORT as a boost dose during cancer surgery, before the start of external radiation. This initial boost dose of radiation can be used in conjunction with standard course of external breast radiation.
Studies have shown IORT is as effective as traditional radiation treatments in treating early-stage (stage I) breast cancer.
Your care team will provide you with any aftercare instructions; however, after the procedure, be sure to get enough rest, stay hydrated, and eat nutritious meals.
You may experience some bruising, swelling, or soreness at the incision site which can be treated with over-the-counter pain medication.