What to Expect


MammoSite® RTS is a simple outpatient procedure. The treatment consists of two short visits per day, for five days. The radiation is completely painless and takes about five to ten minutes each visit. The following is a detailed timeline of what to expect while being treated with MammoSite® RTS at Texas Cancer Clinic.

• A consultation is required to determine if you are a candidate for MammoSite® RTS.
  
• The balloon catheter is inserted by your surgeon and filled with saline. This may occur at the time of lumpectomy, or shortly thereafter.
• Approximately 48 hours after placement of the catheter, a CT scan of the breast with the inflated balloon is performed.
• If the final pathology shows clear margins, and the balloon fits the cavity well, the treatment may begin on the following day.
• Treatment is then given twice a day for five consecutive days. Each treatment lasts about five to ten minutes. While receiving treatment, you are lying comfortably on a bed and the balloon catheter is hooked up to the afterloader next to you. The radioactive pellet is released from the afterloader into the balloon cavity. This process is completely painless.
• On the fifth day, after the last (tenth) treatment, the balloon is deflated and the entire catheter removed. This requires no pain medication and is performed in the clinic.
• The first check-up is usually two weeks later.
• Follow-up after that is typically at six-month intervals with a mammogram and exam by your surgeon.