New Scripps Treatment Eliminates Post-Surgery Cancer Radiation

LA JOLLA, CA -- Physicians at Scripps Health recently began performing a unique breast cancer treatment that delivers an entire course of radiation therapy to the patient in the operating room during surgery, thereby eliminating the need for what is typically weeks of post-surgery radiation.

Most breast cancer patients require three to six weeks of conventional X-ray radiation therapy after breast-conserving surgery, but electron intraoperative radiation therapy (EIORT) can deliver a full course of radiation in a single dose, or fraction, in about two minutes. Candidates for this treatment include selected patients with early-stage breast cancer.

EIORT technology at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla delivers electron beam radiation treatment -- the only type of its kind in San Diego County -- into the patient’s open surgical site after the tumor is removed.

In addition to its speed, Scripps says, EIORT delivers radiation more precisely and effectively to the targeted tissue than conventional external beam radiation, because it has the benefit of direct visualization of the tumor site, no entry dose, little if any exit dose and a very uniform radiation distribution.

“The precise radiation delivery of EIORT translates into excellent tumor control and low probability of cancer recurrence,” said Mary Wilde, M.D., who is medical director of the Scripps Polster Breast Care Center at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla and was instrumental in bringing the technology to Scripps.

Candidates are pre-screened for this therapy option by the treating surgeon, with the final determination regarding suitability being made by the radiation oncologist.

The American Cancer Society reports that about 249,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2016. Wilde, whose practice as a breast cancer surgeon spans more than 20 years, estimates that about 70 percent of her breast cancer patients are treated with lumpectomy, and many of them are candidates for EIORT.

“EIORT can benefit our patients in multiple ways,” said Scripps surgeon Cheryl Olson, M.D. “It is highly targeted, because the surgical oncologist and radiation oncologist can visually pinpoint the optimal site for radiation. This helps avoid irradiating the heart, lung and surrounding healthy tissue.”

Scripps radiation oncologist Kenneth Shimizu said the new approach offers a welcome respite from what has traditionally been a lengthy treatment.

“This option helps reduce the time and inconvenience of daily radiation treatments, five days a week, for several weeks, which lets patients move forward with their recovery sooner,” he explained.

Scripps first began using EIORT in December 2014 as a boost dose to a patient’s post-surgery radiation treatments, and to date, more than 60 patients have been treated. Scripps said it plans to investigate the possibility of expanding this treatment option to other types of cancer.

More information is available at www.scripps.org.

Image via Shutterstock