Intra-operative Radiation

~IORT or Intra-operative Radiation Treatment helps a 72 year old lady win over breast cancer without the removal of her breast~

S L Raheja (A Fortis Associate) Hospital continues to be the pioneer in introducing cutting edge technology combined with clinical excellence. The Hospital has successfully treated a patient of breast cancer with conservative breast surgery and IORT. With this treatment, it is possible to avoid complete removal of the breast and only remove the cancerous growth. Normally to make sure that all cancer cells are destroyed and chances of recurrence are minimized, the patient would have to go through 25-30 sessions of external radiation treatment over 5-6 weeks.

IORT is a radiation therapy technique in which a concentrated dose of radiation is delivered to a cancerous tumor site during surgery after the tumor is removed. After surgery, recovery is normal and there is no need for any additional external radiotherapy.

Mrs. Vidhya Agarwal, a 72 year old housewife from Agra, was detected with breast cancer, after a routine mammography & FNAC test last year and was advised a mastectomy. In addition she suffered from hypothyroidism, hypertensive, had a problem with her weight and had difficulty in walking; all of which made taking external radiation therapy daily for 6 weeks, very difficult.

Mrs. Agarwal’s surgery and the IORT treatment did not take more than an hour. She was discharged in three days after surgery.

An elated Mrs. Vidhya Agarwal says, “I came to know about my condition through a checkup I underwent after noticing a lump in my right breast. I was devastated when the doctor advised a mastectomy. This treatment has been a blessing for me. To my delight, the treatment was affordable, convenient and hassle free.”

S L Raheja (A Fortis Associate) Hospital, Mahim, offers the IORT program as part of its progressive, comprehensive approach to cancer treatment. IORT removes the need for external radiation treatment over 6 weeks by giving a single, definitive dose during surgery. INTRABEAM IORT if used as Boost (targeted supplemental dose of radiation) to standard external beam radiation can reduce treatment duration by one to two weeks. This treatment time reduction enhances treatment compliance and clinical outcomes.

With IORT, the targeted radiation dose leads to negligible side effects (that are seen with external radiation therapy) on adjacent healthy breast tissue and other normal organs such as the lungs, heart and the opposite breast.

Dr. Sanjay Sharma and Dr. Nehal Khanna, the team of doctors for Mrs. Agarwal, are delighted with the results of the treatment. Commenting on his success, Dr Sharma,Surgical Oncologist, S L Raheja (A Fortis Associate) Hospital said, “Statistical data suggests that the recurrence rate with External beam radiotherapy (EBRT) is at

around 7% while that with IORT is just 1.7%. Unlike traditional radiation treatment, IORT uses a single radiation dose and treats a more limited area of breast tissue.”

Dr. Nehal Khanna, Radiation Oncologist, says, “IORT has been a revolution. The treatment has been done on different types of cancers with good results. It is most commonly done for early breast cancers followed by head neck, colo-rectal cancers, pancreatic cancers, vaginal cancers and brain tumors. It can also be taken for recurrent cases, cases who have received prior radiotherapy, palliative settings as well as boost radiotherapy to the tumor bed.”