Clinical Trials Expand Care for More Women
Spectrum Health Lakeland is proud to be one of the only health systems locally, offering Intraoperative Radiation Tkelherapy (IORT). Shortly after introducing this new technique in radiation treatment, Spectrum Health Lakeland was asked to participate in two clinical trials which can potentially expand this treatment option to patients of all ages who are both high and low risk. TARGeted Intra-operative RadioTherapy (TARGIT) is changing the way breast cancer is treated and saving patients valuable time and money.
Working with the University of California, San Francisco, one clinical trial aims to replace the total
course of radiation therapy by offering IORT to patients who are 45 years and older and/or who are
considered “low risk” for recurrence.
Younger patients and those who meet “high risk” criteria qualify for a separate international trial with
University College London that offers a replacement for the additional five to eight day “boost dose”
that is usually given at the end of the three-to six-week radiation therapy.
Early data indicates that this technique offers reduced side effects and the time spent going back and
forth to the hospital for radiation treatments – this, coupled with the money IORT can potentially save
patients – paves the way for a new “standard of care” in breast cancer treatment. This data is based on
thousands of women to date who have received IORT for treatment of their breast cancer.