As you probably are aware, there are specific protocols used to fight cancer. The most common procedures to treat breast cancer are radiation and chemotherapy. Advancements in these therapies have fewer side effects on patients experiencing the treatments now, more than ever before. Chemotherapy has more severe side effects than radiation. This is because all the cells in the body may be affected by the drug being used. Radiation, on the other hand, is a therapy targeting only specific areas of the body affected by cancerous cell growth. Dr. Nicholas Tranakas of Broward Health Medical Center enthusiastically says, “Current s c r e e n i n g technologies can catch breast cancer much earlier than a decade ago. Early treatment can preserve more of a patient’s lymph nodes and breast tissue. DR. NICHOLAS TRANAKAS This is especially positive because administering localized radiation “CURRENT treatments, targeting affected areas SCREENING specifically, helps reduce the amount TECHNOLOGIES CAN CATCH of radiation received.” This is key as it BREAST CANCER shortens the duration of treatment, from MUCH EARLIER over six weeks to two hours per day for as little as five days. than a decade ago. Early treatment “Even more invasive cancers are can preserve more showing promising results when treated of a patient’s with localized radiation.” lymph nodes and Broward Health has more hope to breast tissue. deliver. This is especially Dr. Tranakas shares, “I am very positive because optimistic about a new vaccine showing administering incredible promise!” He explains that localized radiation a patient in her 30s who had a large, treatments, aggressive cancer received the vaccine, targeting affected “and the cancer literally melted away!” areas specifically, Broward Health is one of only seven helps reduce the centers in the United States to participate amount of radiation in an international trial of this vaccine. received.” Holy Cross Hospital, celebrating its
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50th anniversary in January 2013, will soon be offering selected breast cancer patients a new type of radiation treatment. It is called INTRABEAM Radiotherapy. This type of treatment is very exciting Dr. Joseph J. Casey explains. “The radiation is delivered in the lumpectomy cavity before the surgical wound is closed. This allows the radiation dose to be DR. JOSEPH J. CASEY delivered to the tissue where it is most needed.” After the radiation, the wound can be “THIS IS closed to give the best cosmetic result. Dr. Casey A TRULY also explains, “For many patients the single dose in SIGNIFICANT surgery may be the only radiation required. In others AND EXCITING it can shorten the course of the radiation treatments ADVANCE in the effort to considerably while maximizing the effectiveness.” While not every patient will be a good candidate for minimize the side effects and INTRABEAM, the oncology team will review each case for appropriateness to optimize results. “This is complications a truly significant and exciting advance in the effort to of breast cancer treatment while minimize the side effects and complications of breast at the same time cancer treatment while at the same time personalizing and strengthening the treatment impact,” says Dr. personalizing and strengthening Casey. the treatment “Compared to twenty years ago, the picture has dramatically changed in a positive direction,” says impact.” Dr. Indrek Miidla of University Hospital & Medical Center in Coral Springs. A test that is used when patients have something suspicious present in an MRI is called the Positron emission mammography (PEM). This is a form of positron emission tomography (PET) that uses a high-resolution, mini-camera detection technology for imaging the breast. The camera is used to provide a higher resolution image of a limited section of the body and allows for the detection of much smaller lesions, thus creating images that are more easily compared to mammography, since they are acquired in the same position. “The future is in research, specifically in molecular gene technology,” says Dr. Miidla. In university settings, research in this area studies the structure and function of genes at a molecular level. The field studies how the genes are transferred from generation to generation. The future is in studying, learning and determining if scientist can identify a way to fine tune the different cancer cells behavior. “Denial is still such a large part of the equation. Women should not wait if they believe something is wrong. Taking the first step in the prevention process is critical.”