MUSC Hollings Cancer Center was among the first medical centers nationwide to offer MammoSite, an innovative approach to radiation therapy for breast cancer. This minimally invasive brachytherapy involves inserting a balloon catheter into the cavity created by a lumpectomy, whereby a radiation seed delivers the precise amount of radiation directly to the tissue where tumors are most likely to recur. BENEFITS
 Minimizes exposure to healthy tissue in breast, skin, ribs, lungs and heart
Reduces length of treatment following lumpectomy
Maximizes conservation of the breast
Minimizes desquamation of healthy tissue
Only targets tissue most likely to harbor residual cancer cells (occult lesions away from the primary site are rare, affecting about 3 percent of women with breast cancer)
Helps prevent side effects typically associated with external beam radiation, such as fatigue, tissue damage and redness of the skin
96 percent success rate for tumors 2 cm or less
85 percent success rate for tumors 2 cm – 4cm with no lymph involvement REFERRAL GUIDELINES
MammoSite is an option for about 50 percent of breast cancer patients
Recommended for women with breast tumors smaller than 4 cm
Not recommended for women with tumors too close to the skin or chest wall
Ideal for women with moderate and large size breasts | 
