Partial Breast Irradiation, or PBI involves treatment of only a portion of the breast, meaning the lumpectomy cavity plus a limited amount of surrounding tissues, instead of the more commonly treated whole breast. Since a smaller volume of breast tissue is irradiated, treatment times are significantly shorter than conventional treatment.
Interstitial brachytherapy, or IRT, delivers radiation from within the tumor cavity. A device, such as a catheter or a needle, is placed into the treatment area, and radioactive seeds are inserted into the catheter during treatment, then removed afterward. This means that radiation exposure is limited to a short distance of surrounding tissue. Healthy tissue near where the tumor was is less affected by brachytherapy than when external beam radiation is used. Interstitial brachytherapy for breast cancer is much faster than external beam radiation. It is also sometimes used as a boost, when external beam radiation treatments have been completed.
ARC is proud to be the first site on Long Island to have a Trilogy Stereotactic Radiosurgery Linear Accelerator. Stereotactic Radiosurgery, also known as SRS, is a cancer-fighting technique, which utilizes very small and highly directed radiation beams to target tumors within the brain and spine and other sensitive areas of the body. The precision of SRS treatments with Trilogy is unmatched. Its pinpointed technology allows the cancer-destroying doses of radiation to zero in on a tumor within a very small area, while leaving normal tissue right next to it virtually untouched. SRS is very effective for treating tumors of the brain, spine, and other parts of the body near sensitive tissue.
Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy, or IMRT, is a revolutionary delivery technology that allows the Radiation Oncologist to conform, or shape, the radiation high dose region in a highly 3-Dimensional manner. 