Doctors at Bryn Mawr Hospital are now treating certain breast cancer patients with a type of radiation therapy that works from the “inside out.” This therapy – called partial breast radiation – reduces treatment time from six to seven weeks to just five days for women who have had a lumpectomy.

Traditionally, radiation is beamed into the breast following the removal of a tumor. This is to ensure that any remaining cancer cells are killed. Women must make daily trips to the hospital for up to seven weeks, and side effects from the radiation can include skin irritation and fatigue.

Partial breast radiation therapy takes a different approach. After a breast tumor is removed, a small balloon is placed into the empty space where the cancer was. The balloon is inflated with fluid and a radioactive “seed” is threaded through a small tube into the balloon. The seed stays inside the balloon for five to 10 minutes – just long enough to give off the proper dose of radiation to the nearby tissue. The seed is then removed. Treatments are given twice a day for five days. The balloon is removed after the final treatment, and no radiation remains in the body.

“Since the radiation source is placed directly into the breast, a higher and more localized dose can be used over a shorter period of time,” says Dr. Richard Carella, division chief of Radiation Oncology for Main Line Health. “It’s an effective option for women with early stage breast cancer who choose to have lumpectomies.”

According to Dr. Carella, the therapy is proven effective and is FDA approved. However, he cautions, it isn’t for everyone. Good candidates include women with early stage breast cancer who have a very small tumor that has not spread. Women whose breast tumor is large or whose cancer has spread to other parts of the breast or the lymph nodes will still need traditional radiation therapy.

“One big advantage of partial breast radiation is that it limits exposure of normal, healthy tissue to radiation,” he says. “This helps minimize side effects.”

“And because of the shortened treatment time,” adds Carella, “it’s a great option for patients who live long distances from a treatment center.”