A West of Ireland woman has become the first breast cancer patient in the country and one of the first in Europe to undergo “partial breast irradiation”.
Dr Frank Sullivan, consultant radiation oncologist and his team at University College Hospital Galway are using the Varian equipment and MammoSite device to deliver partial breast irradiation for appropriate patients. He said the new equipment will enable patients who need brachytherapy to remain in the Galway area rather than having to make the three- to four-hour journey to Dublin. In the past, some breast cancer patients have opted for a mastectomy rather than having to endure the round trip to the capital.
In addition to the breast cancer treatments, clinicians at the hospital plan to use the new brachytherapy equipment to offer treatments for gynaecological and prostate cancers. Delivered alone or in conjunction with external beam radiation therapy, brachytherapy provides patients with new treatment options and is gaining recognition as a viable and highly targeted cancer treatment approach.
