Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) is an elegant form of radiation that is delivered into the surgical cavity at the time of the surgical removal of your cancer. IORT uses a special type of radiation therapy machine that is capable of delivering the required radiation dose during the surgical procedure.
What is IORT used for?
IORT is only appropriate for certain older and lower risk breast cancer patients.
What does IORT mean for you?
IORT is delivered during surgery, immediately following the surgical removal of the breast cancer. Treatment usually occurs in one treatment and takes about 10 minutes during the operation itself. This is compared with our current standard of care, which is to deliver radiation therapy to the breast after you have recovered from the operation, with daily treatments over a period of three to six weeks.
The IORT team
IORT is delivered at our Peter Mac Moorabbin radiation therapy site.
A team of specialists are required to plan and deliver IORT, including radiation oncologists, radiation therapists and medical physicists, as well as the surgical team. IORT offers an exciting potential treatment, and we are committed to investigating the effectiveness and side effects of this treatment in the context of a clinical trial.
Please speak with your doctor to determine if IORT is the appropriate treatment choice for you.
