Another method of giving radiation shortens the treatment time to just one week, with treatment given twice a day. This form of radiation is called Balloon Brachytherapy. For Balloon Brachytherapy, radiation is delivered internally to the part of the breast where the tumor had been located prior to surgery. Breast Brachytherapy is also known as Breast HDR, since it uses a specialized machine called a High Dose Rate remote after loader unit, or HDR device. Because this type of radiation does not deliver radiation to the entire breast, but only to the area in and around where the surgery was performed, it is also named Partial Breast Irradiation, or PBI. Although PBI is typically performed with HDR balloon brachytherapy, it can also be performed using external beam radiation.
Advanced Radiation Centers of New York is a leader in using Breast Brachytherapy. ARC physicians were among the first in the metropolitan area to use this form of radiation therapy. ARC was the first in Nassau County to use the Contura breast balloon brachytherapy device, which provides better radiation shaping to reduce doses to the skin, heart and chest wall.
Click here to learn more about Breast Balloon Brachytherapy in our Technologies Section
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