Partial Breast Irradiation

The SAVI offers advancement in the field of partial breast radiation for women with breast cancer who are undergoing breast conservation therapy.

Breast conservation therapy includes lumpectomy, the surgical removal of the cancerous tissue within the breast, followed by radiation. This is an alternative to mastectomy in certain breast cancer patients.

Historically, breast conserving radiotherapy was delivered to the whole breast Monday through Friday for 6 weeks. Partial breast irradiation is now able to be offered to selected patients in a manner that only treats the lumpectomy cavity in a twice a day fashion for 5 days. The new SAVI applicator facilitates delivery of this form of radiation therapy which is known as brachytherapy. Many women may find the accelerated treatment with the SAVI as a significant benefit.

A surgeon places the SAVI applicator into the patient's lumpectomy cavity using ultrasound guidance. Afterward the patient is scheduled to come to the Northeast Louisiana Cancer Institute as an outpatient for radiation treatment. The Radiation Oncologist and the Medical Physicist then have the ability via complex treatment planning computers to contour the radiation specifically to the lumpectomy cavity. This allows the patient to get a customized treatment plan. After the 10th treatment (5th day of treatment) the SAVI device is removed. The SAVI procedure offered at Northeast Louisiana Cancer Institute is designed to make the benefits of breast conservation therapy and brachytherapy more available to Northeast Louisiana surgeons and their breast cancer patients.

For more information on the SAVI applicator go to merit.com/savi-brachy or call Northeast Louisiana Cancer Institute at 966-1900.