Signature Healthcare Is One of a Limited Number of Hospitals in Massachusetts to Offer
Axxent® Electronic Brachytherapy Radiation Treatment

Delivers Localized Therapy Directly To Cancer Sites in Minimally Shielded Clinical Setting

Women of Eastern Massachusetts with early stage breast and endometrial cancers now have a new treatment option available to help reduce the chances of recurrence. Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital Radiation Therapy Center and Vantage Oncology today announced that they will offer Axxent® Electronic Brachytherapy, which uses a miniaturized X-ray source that can deliver localized and targeted radiation treatments under the supervision of a radiation oncologist.

“We are proud to offer our patients an exciting new way to deliver radiation therapy for the treatment of breast and endometrial cancers,” said Steven Lane, M.D., a radiation oncologist at Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital Radiation Therapy Center. “Electronic Brachytherapy uses an electronic X-ray source, as opposed to radioactive isotopes, enabling it to be delivered in minimally-shielded environments. The result is on-demand X-ray treatments that we expect will improve access to critical radiation therapy.”

Data from several randomized controlled clinical studies has demonstrated that radiation therapy is an essential component of treatment for breast cancer following lumpectomy. Radiation therapy is administered after breast-sparing surgery with the intent of eliminating stray cancer cells that may remain in the breast. For appropriate patients with early stage breast cancer; lumpectomy followed by radiation is proven to reduce the rate of local recurrences and gives equivalent results when compared to a mastectomy.

Approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of early stage breast and endometrial cancers, the Axxent Electronic Brachytherapy System is designed to deliver radiation therapy directly to cancer sites with minimal radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissue and structures. In addition, the system reduces the time required for radiation therapy for early stage breast cancer from seven weeks for external radiation therapy to five days. As a result, tens of thousands of patients will have greater access to therapy that can be delivered more easily and conveniently. This may redirect patient choice to breast conservation therapy with a lumpectomy followed by radiation therapy over the alternative of a mastectomy.

“We continue to offer state-of-the-art radiation technology such as the TomoTherapy® Hi-Art and the Axxent Electronic Brachytherapy Systems to our community. We have incorporated Axxent into our cancer center in order to provide a revolutionary radiation treatment alternative to our breast and endometrial cancer patients in a convenient and comfortable environment,” said Dr. Lane.

For more information about the Axxent Electronic Brachytherapy System, please contact Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital Radiation Therapy Center at 508-941-7450 or visit www.signatureradiationoncology.org.