Diablo Valley Oncology Performs its First Breast Intraoperative Radiation Procedure

December 15, 2011 – Diablo Valley Oncology, an oncology practice in the San Francisco East Bay, recently administered its first breast intraoperative radiation treatment (IORT) using the Xoft Axxent eBx electronic brachytherapy system at Aspen Surgical in Walnut Creek.

"We are excited to be the first practice to offer this type of treatment to patients in the East Bay," said Sachin Kamath, M.D., medical director of radiation at Diablo Valley Oncology. "Offering IORT allows more breast cancer patients access to potentially lifesaving radiation therapy that is safe, highly effective, and less time consuming."

IORT enables doctors to administer a high dose of radiation to the tumor bed during the lumpectomy, which reduces or eliminates the need for follow-up radiation treatments and also minimizes radiation exposure to healthy tissue and organs. The current standard of care for early stage breast cancer consists of lumpectomy, followed by a six-week course of daily whole breast radiation therapy or a five-day regimen with balloon brachytherapy (10 treatments). Studies have shown that with breast IORT, a single dose of intraoperative radiation may be as effective in treating the tumor as 10-20 daily radiation doses.

"Radiation therapy is a critical element of breast cancer treatment, however historically it has required several weeks of daily treatments, which can pose a financial and logistical challenge for some patients," said Kamath. "The Xoft eBx System gives us the ability to provide the necessary radiation treatment at the time of surgery and is less disruptive and less burdensome on the patient's lifestyle. This is a great improvement in patient care at a lower cost."

The Xoft Axxent eBx System is U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared for the treatment of early stage breast cancer, skin cancer and gynecological cancer. The Xoft System is designed to safely deliver radiation directly to cancer sites with minimal exposure to surrounding healthy tissue.

For more information: www.xoftinc.com/