IORT – Intraoperative Radiation Therapy-What is it? Have you heard of this?
EDUCATE.
Thanks to @AskDrRosen -one of the medical advisors for Learn Look Locate, we all now can learn more about IORT.
“IORT is an alternative to traditional radiation therapy. This novel therapy is administered at the time of a lumpectomy and may replace the 4-7 weeks of radiation therapy that is often required following surgery.
This technique allows physicians to administer the necessary dose of radiation within the region of the breast most prone to recurrence, and simultaneously avoid exposure to healthy breast tissue or adjacent organs such as the heart and lungs.
By delivering the dose in a more precise manner, women are spared the common side effects of radiation including skin burns and lethargy.
Unfortunately, not all women are candidates for this treatment and there are only a limited number of hospitals in the United States which offer this.
I hope that, by sharing this information, this alternative may be more accessible to women faced with a breast cancer diagnosis; people have a right to know all options available.
@askdrrosen