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Promising breast cancer treatment offered in Ft. Myers

By Jennifer Stacy, WINK News Now

Story Created: Nov 7, 2007 at 7:22 PM EDT

Story Updated: Nov 8, 2007 at 6:07 PM EDT

Fort Myers, Fla. - A relatively new procedure to treat breast cancer is being offered in Fort Myers. It's showing incredible success, and offering patients peace of mind and a new lease on life.

It's called MammoSite, a targeted radiation therapy that works from the inside, meaning that a higher daily dose can be used for a shorter period of time - 5 days vs. 5-7 weeks.

MammoSite places the radiation source inside the lumpectomy cavity (the space left when a tumor is removed). It then delivers radiation to the area where cancer is most likely to recur. The therapy is given on an outpatient basis and no hospital stay is required.

According to Dr. Jeffrey Lewis of Lee Memorial Health system, the chance of recurrence is only 3-5%, vs. 25-30% with traditional radiation.

MammoSite is not right for everyone. Talk to your doctor about your options.

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