PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island Hospital is among the first 10 sites in the country to offer the Axxent Electronic Brachytherapy System, a breast cancer treatment that uses a miniaturized X-ray source to deliver localized and targeted radiation to reduce the risk of recurrence.
Margaret Economos, 62, of Lakeville, Mass., was the first patient in the region to be treated with the new system, which is designed for early-stage breast cancer, the hospital said in a news release. Economos had undergone a lumpectomy in August.
Currently, most women with early-stage breast cancer who have radiation treatment undergo whole-breast radiation, which carries the risk of radiation damage to normal cells. The Axxent treatment delivers more targeted treatment and takes just five days, compared with seven to eight weeks with the traditional method. •
