Vim & Vigor - Winter 2008 - (Page 56)

ask the experts your questions answered our specialists answer your questions about breast cancer and spinal surgery ❋ What is brachytherapy treatment for breast cancer? High dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy is one of the more recent radiation oncology advances we have to ﬁght breast cancer. It uses a temporary balloon-type catheter called a MammoSite® to provide a path for radiation treatment. Since the radiation is only present in the patient during the actual treatment and is delivered directly to the site where the tumor was removed, surrounding tissue is less affected. One of the most signiﬁcant advantages of this modality is the timing. Therapy usually starts two days after the lumpectomy. Instead of the six to seven weeks required for standard breast radiation, the woman receives two treatments a Kevin Schewe, M.D. day, six hours apart, for ﬁve days, and the therapy is complete. So her life is far less disrupted. More than 35,000 women in the U.S. have been treated with MammoSite therapy to date. I began using this treatment nearly six years ago and have treated some 450 women thus far, with only two documented recurrences. This is a beautiful technique for a fairly large group of women. Candidates are at least 45 years of age or older, have a tumor of 3 centimeters or smaller removable by lumpectomy, with no lymph node involvement. Intuitively, I like To learn more about the fact that patients are getting brachytherapy treatment radiation from the inside out for breast cancer and how rather than the outside in. It it can help you or a loved helps them visualize their treatone who is battling cancer, ment more effectively.—Kevin visit stanthony Schewe, M.D., Medical Director, central.org central.org. St. Anthony Regional Mountain Cancer Center Q&A ❋ Is the new cervical (neck) disc-replacement surgery a better choice than fusion? B. Andrew Castro, M.D. fight back go One-level disc replacement to help correct symptomatic cervical disc disease is certainly an option given last fall’s FDA’s approval. Whether it’s more advantageous depends on the individual patient. Intervertebral discs are the natural “shock absorbers” separating the bones in our neck and spine and allowing them to move freely. When these discs degenerate, become herniated or bulge, nerves can become compressed and the individual can experience severe neck and upper extremity pain, and sometimes headaches. Traditionally, the best pain resolution after failing nonsurgical measures comes from fusing the vertebrae at the level that’s affected. The percentage of success for one-level cervical fusion is extremely good—in the high 90s. Such excellent results are hard to beat. That being said, disc replacement theoretically provides additional protection for the discs above and below the affected level. It also offers the potential for a more normal range of motion in the cervical spine than is possible with fusion. “The patient experience is virtually the same with both surgeries. They can both be done as outpatient procedures, but I personally prefer to have patients stay overnight. The primary difference is after the procedure, as fusion does require that a protective cervical collar be worn and disc replacement does not.”—B. Andrew Castro, M.D., Orthopedic Surgeon, Cornerstone Orthopedics and Sports Medicine at Avista 56 vim & vigor · winte r 2 008 http://stanthonycentral.org http://stanthonycentral.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Winter 2008

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2008 Contents Friendly Faces For Your Health 'Tis the Season to be Safe Eat Your Veggies Joint Effort Fresh Beginnings Decades of Opportunity Keeping Score Your Big Give Roll Up Your Sleeve Tidings of Comfort and Health Blueprint for Safety The Smoke-Free Mom-to-Be Childbirth Trends Moms Choosing Midwives Community Sections Dollars & Sense Ask the Experts

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2008

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