Investigational Treatment Option for Early-Stage Breast Cancer
Precision Breast IORT (intraoperative radiation therapy) is an investigational treatment for early stage breast cancer that is available as part of a clinical trial and is unique to the University of Virginia.
Precision Breast IORT allows women with breast cancer to receive a single dose of personalized radiation at the same time as their breast surgery. Traditional breast-conserving therapy involves surgery (breast lumpectomy) and 4-6 weeks of daily radiation.
Find out if Precision Breast IORT is right for you. You must meet the following criteria in order to qualify:
- Age 45 years or older
- Tumor size less than 3 cm
- No prior radiation treatment to the affected breast
- New diagnosis of invasive breast cancer or ductal carcinoma in situ
Precision Breast IORT is part of a clinical trial.
IRB-HSR #18004
IRB# NCT002400658
PI: Shayna Showalter, MD
Don't qualify for IORT? Learn about other breast cancer treatment options at UVA.
Precision Breast IORT
Precision Breast IORT combines image-guided, high-dose targeted radiation with surgery, changing what would normally be multiple appointments for radiation and surgery into a single procedure.
Call us at 434.243.2027 if you have any questions.
Traditional radiation therapy requires weeks of daily treatments. Breast IORT involves only one radiation dose at the time of breast surgery.
Unlike IORT available at other hospitals, Precision Breast IORT utilizes specialized CT image guidance and high dose rate brachytherapy to provide women with a single individualized radiation treatment.
Compared to traditional whole breast irradiation:
- Better target volume coverage
- Customized treatment plan allows the dose to be sculpted away from the heart, skin and ribs
- Allows for delivery of higher dose of radiation to the area where the breast cancer was removed when compared to other forms of IORT
- Patient convenience
- Bruising of the breast tissue, swelling or infection
- Hardness or changes in the way the breast feels in the area that was treated