October 22, 2007 - Cianna Medical recently announced that 100 patients have been treated with the SAVI applicator, a single-entry, multi-catheter applicator that delivers radiation therapy as part of breast conservation therapy.
By using a more precisely targeted dose of radiation, SAVI treats the tissue surrounding the lumpectomy cavity while minimizing radiation dose to healthy tissue. Instead of the six week course of treatment required by whole breast radiation, treatment with the SAVI applicator lasts just five days. This approach is becoming a more widely used alternative to whole breast irradiation, according to the manufacturer.
“SAVI is becoming a very important tool in the management of our breast cancer patients, because we can deliver breast brachytherapy to more patients than we could with its predecessor,” said Constantine Mantz, M.D., radiation oncologist with 21st Century Oncology.
“The great advantage of partial breast irradiation is that it expedites the course of radiation therapy that a woman would receive following surgery,” said Dr. Mantz. “Because SAVI is a multi-catheter device we can exert far greater control over how radiation is delivered in the breast. We have the luxury of being able to place the device very close to the skin or very close to the chest wall and still deliver a safe and effective treatment.”
Radiation treatment after a lumpectomy has traditionally involved irradiation of the entire breast with an external beam. This “whole breast irradiation” exposes more healthy tissue and involves a lengthy treatment course, with radiation delivered five times a week over a six-to-seven week period.
For more information: www.ciannamedical.com
September 07, 2023 
