January 1 2000  


 

Nucletron B.V. Veenendaal, The Netherlands is the sole sponsor of the promising Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) study to evaluate the effectiveness of high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy as the primary treatment for breast cancer following breast conservation surgery.


The RTOG 9517 Primary Breast Protocol builds on positive experience gained in the Ochsner Clinic intramural trial by the group led by Robert R Kuske MD, who has been a Nucletron HDR user for over 5 years. The encouraging results of the pilot study (median follow-up 5 years) show a zero recurrence rate to date.


The use of HDR brachytherapy rather than conventional External Beam ther apy (EBT) has advantages for the patient and for the treatment center. With this protocol healthy tissue is exposed to a far lower dose of radiation with minimal side effects, while the cosmetic result is improved. HDR brachytherapy also reduces treatment time from the 5-7 weeks needed for External Beam to approximately 4-5 days, which means that breast conservation is a realistic option for today's informed and active women. In addition to the reduction in treatment time, the costs in terms of ti me and expenses are significantly lower.


Currently, six centers have enrolled in the RTOG study and more centers are encouraged to participate. RTOG members should submit the protocol to their Investigation Review Boards for approval and non-members must affiliate with a member institution to join the study.


For more information on the Nucletron sponsored Primary Breast Protocol consult the RTOG website http://www.rtog.org/  and http://www.ochsner.org/