Breast conserving therapy is less invasive than a mastectomy, which involves removal of the entire breast. With Mammosite, surgeons remove only the cancerous tumor, followed by radiation therapy to treat the microscopic cancer cells that can be left behind after the tumor is removed.

"For those women, it may be a way to give them a very effective treatment that treats a smaller portion of their breast, doesn’t treat their lung or their heart and can be done in a quicker period of time," says Geraldine Jacobson, M.D., UI Health Care radiation oncologist.

Mammosite works this way: after the lumpectomy, surgeons thread a catheter into the original tumor site. The catheter is inflated and a small dose of radiation is directed into the area using computer controlled sensors. The therapy takes just five days and targets only the original tumor site. Patients like Sherilynn Kopkau say they’re thrilled with this new therapy.

"I knew that I had to have chemo as part of my treatment, so I didn’t want to tie up six or seven months of my life getting breast cancer treatment if I could do it in a smaller amount of time," says Kopkau.

Since being approved by the FDA, more than 15,000 patients have been treated with the Mammosite device.

But it’s not for everyone. Generally, this therapy is best for patients over age 45 who have smaller tumors that leave behind little or no cancerous cells in the tumor site after surgery.

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Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center

Geraldine Jacobson, M.D.