The Michael and Dianne Bienes Comprehensive Cancer Center at Holy Cross Hospital announced that it is addressing a serious but largely undocumented issue in the treatment of local breast cancer patients with an innovative use of ultrasound. The Bienes Cancer Center has implemented a new application of 3D ultrasound technology called the Clarity System to address lumpectomy cavity movement and provide more precise guidance in breast cancer treatment planning and delivery.
The lumpectomy cavity is the area where the cancerous tumor was removed through surgery. Differences in the placement of the patient from day to day and gradual changes in the shape of the lumpectomy cavity over time can leave patients susceptible to under-treatment or to unnecessary exposure of healthy tissue to radiation. To address this issue, physicians in South Florida are using the FDA-cleared Clarity Breast System, which uses 3D ultrasound technology to visualize the precise location and size of the lumpectomy cavity at the time of treatment planning and then daily with each consecutive radiation treatment. The Clarity System uses the same gentle, non-invasive ultrasound technology most often associated with pregnancy and providing images of unborn babies to help solve a critical challenge in breast cancer radiation treatment.
