Esther Coates was expecting her radiation therapy for breast cancer to take five to six weeks of Monday through Friday treatments. Instead, her doctor at Virginia Mason offered a new option, called the SAVI treatment.
"It was a real plus --only 5 days," said Esther.
That's right - five days, twice a day. The approach involves a catheter that fits inside the cavity where the tumor used to be. Unlike the balloon method that came before, this device can be sculpted to fit the patient's anatomy, no matter what the shape , size or location.
Dr. Michelle Yao says that means partial breast radiation can now be an option for more women.
"This is where the customizable part of this comes in because you can actually control how long that source sits at each of these positions within these catheters," she said.
Because a smaller area is being targeted, there are fewer side effects.
"Most patients who are receiving traditional radiation therapy have a fair amount of fatigue, we're really seeing very little of that here," said Dr. Yao
Esther concurs.
"Oh I feel wonderful. I've felt good all along," she said
The SAVI treatment is intended for women over 45 with early stage breast cancer.
Esther is glad she chose this option.
"This is much quicker. It's nice to not be tied into appointments. It lets you get on with your life a lot faster," she said.
Virginia Mason was the first in Seattle to offer the treatment. It's now available at a number of radiation oncology centers. For more information click here
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