The Hoffberger Breast Center at MercyThe Weinberg Center for Women's Health & Medicine at Mercy

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IORT - Intraoperative Radiotherapy Offered First at Mercy in Maryland

The Hoffberger Breast Center at Mercy

What is IORT?

IORT, or Intraoperative Radiotherapy, is a new single dose radiation treatment and is a clinically validated option for select breast cancer.  IORT takes the place of external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) delivered at the time of a lumpectomy.

Dr. Neil Friedman discusses IORT Treatment on WBAL AM (MP3)

Patients would typically follow a lumpectomy with daily treatments of whole-breast radiation for up to 6 weeks. IORT treatment delivers a targeted dose of radiation to a specific area in one instance instead of multiple doses to the entire breast over time reducing potential side effects.

image link to a video about Intraoperative Radiotherapy

Mercy physicians explain IORT

image link to a video about Intraoperative Radiotherapy

See video showing how IORT works

Who should receive IORT?

Appropriately selected women over the age of 40, with negative lymph nodes and have smaller tumors not yet reaching the lymph nodes, are better candidates for IORT treatment. Radiation oncologists provide IORT treatment at the time of the first surgery only. IORT is an alternative to standard breast radiation therapy, for many breast cancer patients, commonly given in larger doses over approximately six weeks.

How is an IORT treatment performed?

At the time of the lumpectomy, using the INTRABEAM® Radiotherapy System our radiation oncologists deliver a one-time dose of radiation treatment to prevent a local recurrence of cancer in the immediate vicinity of removed tumor. Treatment takes approximately 25 to 35 minutes. The goal is to kill any microscopic cancer cells that are in the area where the tumor had existed.

IORT treatment at Mercy

Drs. Neil B. Friedman, Gauri C. Bedi and Jennifer Joh of The Hoffberger Breast Center and Dr. Maria Jacobs of Radiation Oncology at Mercy, introduce Intraoperative Radiotherapy (IORT) as a new alternative treatment for women with breast cancer. Mercy is the first, and only, hospital in Maryland offering IORT as a treatment option during a lumpectomy.

Radiation Oncology at Mercy, led by Maria Jacobs, M.D., combines the latest in treatment techniques with state-of-the-art technology to benefit each patient.

Mercy Medical Center offers an integrated cancer management strategy involving surgery and chemotherapy in addition to radiation therapy. Our radiation oncologists work directly with our top doctors in breast cancer surgery at The Hoffberger Breast Center at Mercy.

Now Accepting New Patients.
Most Insurances Accepted.

Please call for an appointment.
Phone: 410-332-9330
Tollfree: 1-800-MD-Mercy (1-800-636-3729)

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