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Cancer researcher to present breast surgery findings A time-compressed breast cancer treatment being used by the Hollings Cancer Center results in excellent cosmetic outcome for most women undergoing the treatment, said Anthony E. Dragun, M.D., who will be presenting his research findings Nov. 4 at the 48th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) in Philadelphia, Pa.   MUSC began using the innovative therapy called MammoSite breast brachytherapy in 2002 and was one of the first hospitals in the nation to use the technique after its approval by the Food and Drug Administration. As a result, MUSC has accumulated one of the largest databases of MammoSite patients with some of the longest follow-ups.   Dragun, chief resident in MUSC’s Department of Radiation Oncology, said that MammoSite is used to deliver radiation therapy following a lumpectomy for early-stage breast cancer. A major advantage of MammoSite is that it reduces the time frame for post-surgical radiation therapy from six weeks to just five days.   Surgeons use the MammoSite device in a separate procedure after a lumpectomy. Radiation oncologists then use the device to guide radiation only to that breast tissue, which is the highest risk for cancer recurrence, sparing the remaining breast tissue from further radiation.   The cosmetic issues that normally stem from traditional radiation therapy include painful redness and peeling of the breast skin. However, MammoSite virtually eliminates these complications. Dragun’s study shows that the majority of patients treated with MammoSite have an excellent cosmetic outcome. In his study, Dragun also found that complications resulting in fair to poor cosmetic outcomes have dropped significantly since the device was first introduced.   Dragun’s study, titled “Predictors of Cosmetic Outcome Following MammoSite Breast Brachytherapy,” was chosen from a record-breaking 1,640 abstracts submitted for review to be presented at the ASTRO meeting, which is the largest gathering of radiation oncology specialists in the world. ASTRO is the largest radiation oncology society in the world, with more than 8,500 members who specialize in treating patients with radiation therapy.   For more information, contact Dragun at dragun@radonc.musc.edu or 792-3271.   For information on ASTRO’s 48th meeting, visit http://www.astro.org/annual_meeting/.     Friday, Oct. 13, 2006 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.