MONTREAL – An ongoing clinical trial at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) is producing what doctors call significant results for breast cancer patients with low-risk recurrence.
Surgeons have been using a new technology known as the Intrabeam®, to administer a single dose of concentrated radiotherapy from inside the breast.
The wand-like device is used during surgery directly after a lumpectomy to provide a targeted dose of radiation therapy.
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This allows doctors to destroy any remaining tumour cells while causing minimal damage to surrounding tissues and organs.
The majority of local breast cancers recur at the primary site, and according to Dr. Sarkis Meterissian, director of the Cedars Breast Clinic of the MUHC, having the ability to target the tumour and surrounding tissues during surgery could be an effective strategy in reducing recurrence.
So far the trials have shown promising results.
“As far as clinical trials go, the results collected to date have been outstanding, both in terms of patient outcomes and cost savings to the healthcare system,” said Meterissian.
The one-time 30 minute treatment is the first of its kind in Quebec.
Normally patients would need to undergo from four to six weeks of post-surgery radiation treatment. That’s anywhere from 20 to 30 visits.
Going from 30 treatments down to one not only cuts down on exposure to radiation but also minimizes the stress patients often feel when trying to juggle their schedules.
For Janet Pegg, 69, it made all the difference.
“Getting to my medical appointments has been hard enough, let alone having to come back for at least 20 daily treatments after the surgery,” she said.
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Pegg, who underwent the experimental procedure in March 2015, is also a full-time care-giver for her disabled adult daughter.
“It has made the world of difference, not just for me, but for my daughter as well,” she said.
Since the surgery Pegg has had only three follow up visits to the Cedars Cancer Centre and remains cancer free.
Eliminating the need for follow-up radiation therapy not only benefits the patient but reduces the costs to the healthcare system by as much as $1,000 per patient.
While the treatment is still only available as part of an ongoing clinical trial, oncology experts at the MUHC are hopeful the procedure will soon be made available on a wider scale.
Dr. Tarek Hijal, director of the Division of Radiation Oncology at MUHC, points to results of the trial to explain his optimism.
“Since 2013, 21 women have received Intrabeam® treatment as part of this MUHC clinical trial, each of them with positive patient satisfaction and few side effects,” said Hijal.
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