March 25, 2010
Contact: Bonnie Zimmerman
Director, Marketing and Physician Services
Florida Hospital Waterman
1000 Waterman Way
Tavares, FL 32778
(352) 253-3442
News for Immediate Release
Florida Hospital Waterman Cancer Institute (FHWCI) was recently named a “Center of Excellence” in accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) for its use of the SAVI applicator, an advanced therapy for breast cancer as part of breast conservation therapy. Borys Mascarenhas, M.D., F.A.C.S., fellowship-trained surgical oncologist, also received a Distinguished Achievement Award for excellence in APBI.
Designation as a Center of Excellence and the Distinguished Achievement Award recognize FHWCI and Dr. Mascarenhas for their dedication to education, training and experience in APBI. To qualify, Dr. Mascarenhas and FHWCI’s radiation oncologists, medical physicists and clinical staff were required to complete a comprehensive training and education program in order to demonstrate proficiency in delivery radiation therapy with SAVI. As a Center of Excellence, FHWCI has also expressed a commitment to patient education, advocacy and awareness of advanced breast cancer treatments.
Breast conservation therapy includes lumpectomy – the surgical removal of the cancerous tissue within the breast plus tissue immediately around the tumor – followed by radiation. This approach is an alternative to mastectomy, which removes the entire breast and is often followed by breast reconstruction.
The SAVI applicator delivers a form of radiation therapy known as breast brachytherapy. This approach, which targets the tumor site from inside the breast, is becoming a more widely used alternative to traditional radiation.
The multi-catheter SAVI applicator treats the tissue surrounding the lumpectomy cavity from the inside out. The device is inserted into the lumpectomy cavity through a small incision. The physician then gently expands the bundle of catheters so the radiation dose will confirm to the size and shape of the area to be treated.
“This technology makes it possible for us to provide more women with the advantages of breast brachytherapy,” said Dr. Mascarenhas.
Breast brachytherapy typically involves two treatments per day for only 5 days. This shorter timeframe makes brachytherapy far more convenient than traditional, external-beam radiation, which is delivered five times per week for six or seven weeks.
In addition, breast brachytherapy minimizes radiation exposure of healthy tissue, which reduces damage to critical structures such as the skin, heart, lungs and ribs.
FHWCI is among the first cancer centers in the United States to offer SAVI. For more information about breast cancer treatment options at FHWCI, please call 352.253.3610.
##################