10 Ways Medtech Is Battling Breast Cancer

Intraoperative Radiation TherapyAt last month’s American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) annual meeting, researchers presented findings from a Vanderbilt University School of Medicine study supporting Xoft intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) for early-stage breast cancer. IORT with the Xoft System employs a miniaturized x-ray source to deliver one concentrated dose of radiation directly to the tumor site, minimizing risk of damage to healthy tissue in nearby areas of the body, the company reported in a news release.According to an abstract shared with MD+DI, the study concluded that “IORT is a convenient and well-tolerated treatment option for the appropriately selected woman undergoing partial breast irradiation.” The study involved 100 patients (101 tumors), with a median age of 66 and a median follow up of 3.8 years. It found that “rates of seroma formation are similar to rates reported for multiplefraction catheter based systems.”A spokesperson further told MD+DI that the Xoft System “allows breast surgeons and radiologists to work together to deliver an entire course of radiation in a single fraction at the time of lumpectomy, in as little as eight minutes. This allows appropriately selected patients to potentially replace six to eight weeks of post-operative external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) with a single-fraction of radiation, while the patient is still asleep at the time of lumpectomy.”Michael Klein, Chairman and CEO of iCAD, stated in the release that “We may be approaching a significant paradigm shift in the way clinicians treat cancer, especially with a likely decision on the Radiation Oncology Alternative Payment Model (RO-APM) anticipated in the months ahead. As a single-fraction treatment therapy for early-stage breast cancer, Xoft IORT is a viable and verified treatment option that appears well-aligned with the core elements of the proposed model.”The Xoft System uses a miniaturized x-ray source to deliver one precise, concentrated dose of radiation directly to the tumor site, while minimizing risk of damage to healthy tissue in nearby areas of the body. Photo and caption credit: iCAD Inc.