Current treatment planning systems (TPSs) for partial breast irradiation using the MammoSite brachytherapy applicator (Cytyc Corporation, Marlborough, MA) often neglect the effect of inhomogeneity, leading to potential inaccuracies in dose distributions. Previous publications either have studied only a planar dose perturbation along the bisector of the source or have paid little attention to th...

MammoSite balloon brachytherapy is a relatively new technique for partial breast irradiation. The present paper focuses on the treatment planning, dosimetry, and quality assurance aspects of that treatment, based on the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 0413 randomized prospective trial (RTOG 0413) protocol. We investigate the usefulness of evaluating implants for treatment appropriateness accor...

PURPOSE Accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) with the MammoSite breast brachytherapy (MBB) system is being investigated as an alternative to whole breast radiation in breast conservation therapy (BCT) at multiple centers worldwide. The newness of MBB means a complete understanding of long-term toxicity, particularly involving the chest wall, has yet to be completely articulated. We rep...

Advances in breast brachytherapy techniques have led to the development of new approaches for treatment of patients with early-stage breast cancer. This article reviews the indications, clinical utility, and nursing interventions for the Mammosite Radiation Therapy System (Proxima Therapeutics, Alpharetta, GA) and INTRABEAM (Photoelectron Corporation, North Billerica, MA) radiation therapy syst...