IORT | Intraoperative Radiation Therapy Targeted treatment Fewer side effects Reduced Costs Icreased convenience Improved quality of life Most suitable candidates for an IORT treatment: 45 years old or more Single cancer location Size < 3cm Grade 1 or 2 HER2 Negative ER positive

In recent years, significant advancements have been made in the detection and treatment of breast cancer, offering patients less-invasive, breast-conserving options with valuable benefits. Studies of early-stage breast cancer treatment have shown that performing a lumpectomy by removing the cancerous tissue and a small rim of tissue surrounding it, plus radiation therapy, provides women the same survival outcomes as a total breast removal or mastectomy. If you have been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, you may have the option of completing both surgery and radiation therapy at the same time with targeted, intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT).
What is Breast IORT? Breast IORT is an advanced, patient-friendly radiation treatment option. With IORT, a complete, concentrated dose of radiation is delivered in one treatment during surgery. Traditional external beam radiation therapy involves daily radiation treatments for six to eight weeks, while IORT with the Xoft System can be completed in minutes, eliminating weeks of travel, disruption to your daily life, and emotional stress. If you have been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, you may have the option of completing both cancer surgery and radiation treatment at the same time with targeted, intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT).	" Knowing that I did not need to have radiation every single day and that I could have it all done at one time in minutes allowed me to continue to live my life, go to work, travel and go dancing with my husband. I did not have to think about my cancer anymore or work it into my daily routine." – Kimbi A., Patient
What are the benefits of IORT? Studies of early-stage breast cancer treatment have shown that performing a lumpectomy by removing the cancerous tissue and a small rim of tissue surrounding it, plus radiation therapy, provides women the same survival outcomes as a total breast removal or mastectomy.1,2 In recent years, significant advancements have been made in the detection and treatment of breast cancer. IORT offers patients a less-invasive, breast-conserving option with valuable benefits including: Targeted treatment Fewer side effects Reduced costs Increased convenience Improved quality of life similarly low recurrence rate as in conventional EBRT (External Beam Radiation Therapy)	How does IORT treat breast cancer? IORT uses a miniaturized x-ray source to deliver a full course of targeted radiation from inside the body, directly within the tumor cavity where the cancer is most likely to recur, carefully destroying cancer cells and reducing the risk of damage to nearby healthy tissue including the heart, lungs, and ribs. 3 This helps minimize potential side effects which are more common with whole breast irradiation. A discussion with your surgeon about breast IORT, as well as other treatment options, is necessary to determine if you are a candidate. A growing body of favorable clinical data supports the use of IORT in patients meeting specific selection criteria. A peer-reviewed study has shown a single-fraction radiation treatment delivered at the time of breast-conserving surgery results in similar recurrence rates when compared to EBRT.4
What should I expect? Radiation oncologists and surgeons work together to administer breast IORT is in just five simple steps. A surgeon will remove the cancer while preserving the remaining breast tissue. Immediately after the cancer is removed, a small inflatable balloon is placed inside the surgical cavity. The miniaturized x-ray source is placed in the applicator and energized to deliver radiation for a prescribed amount of time. Radiation is delivered while medical personnel remain in the room. When the treatment is complete, the x-ray source is turned off. All devices are removed and the surgeon will complete the operation. Schedule an appointment today to determine if you may be an appropriate candidate for breast intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT).
Veronesi U, et al. Twenty-year follow-up of a randomized study comparing breast-conserving surgery with radical mastectomy for early breast cancer. NEJM. 2002;347:1227-1232. Fisher B, et al. Twenty-year follow-up of a randomized trial comparing total mastectomy, lumpectomy and lumpectomy plus irradiation for the treatment of invasive breast cancer. NEJM. 2002;347:1233-1241 Dickler, et al. “A Dosimetric comparison of MammoSite high dose rate brachytherapy and Xoft Axxent electronic brachytherapy,” Brachytherapy (6) 2007, 164–168. Vaidya A, et al. Risk-adapted targeted intraoperative radiotherapy versus whole-breast radiotherapy for breast cancer: 5-year results for local control and overall survival from the TARGIT-A randomised trial. The Lancet. Volume 383, No. 9917, p603–613, 15 February 2014. TARGIT-A Trial performed with Carl Zeiss Meditec AG Intrabeam System.