Testimonials
Patients
“I didn’t physically or psychologically have the strength to deal with daily radiation. I broke down and cried when they told me I might be able to get it done in one day.”
--Elysa Yanowitz, 63, randomly selected for the IORT study at the University of California , San Francisco .
From the San Francisco Chronicle, Saturday June 5, 2010.
Arleen’s Story
Arleen Sharwell, a breast cancer patient from Long Island, New York, did what all women do: she went to a local breast surgeon for a treatment recommendation. Arleen was told she needed a lumpectomy to remove the tumor, followed by five-to-six weeks of radiation therapy. Having heard about IOERT, Arleen asked if she was a candidate for a single-dose radiation treatment. Her doctor flatly refused to investigate – or to give Arleen a referral to a hospital that did offer such a treatment.
The sad truth is that while more than twenty centers around the world are actively engaged in such a program for their patients, only one hospital in North America currently offers single-dose IOERT treatments for breast cancer: The University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Arleen reached out to UNC doctors Joel Tepper, professor and former chair of radiation oncology, and David Ollila, associate professor and surgical director for the multidisciplinary breast program and multidisciplinary melanoma program. Dr. Tepper and Dr. Ollila immediately recognized that Arleen was a candidate for the single-dose, single-day lumpectomy and IOERT treatment. To Arleen’s delight, her entire breast cancer treatment was completed in one day.
Today Arleen is healthy and busy providing information to patients: “I’ve been trying to get the word out so that other patients can benefit from this fast and remarkable treatment.” Arleen is also impressed with the way her breast has healed since the surgery. “I couldn’t imagine going to a plastic surgeon and having it look any better”, she said. Arleen could not be more pleased with the results of her one day breast cancer treatment. “It’s a miracle, it truly is a miracle”, she said. “There’s no comparison whatsoever. As far as breast surgery is concerned, it was a piece of cake!”
Reprinted from “My Breast Cancer Story, A chronicle of experience with breast cancer”, August 24, 2009 with excerpts from IntraOp Medical Corporation. Note: UNC has suspended breast cancer IOERT indefinitely due to a leave of absence by the current program director. Since this posting, a few other locations in the United States now offer IOERT for breast cancer treatment.
Healthcare Professionals
"We are very excited to be the first hospital in Latin America with an operating room-based IOERT program. Breast Cancer will certainly be one of the focuses of our IOERT program. IOERT has demonstrated very impressive results in breast cancer therapy, both as a boost treatment at the time of surgery and as a single dose treatment to replace all post-operative external beam radiation treatments. We feel that IOERT will enable us to reduce breast cancer recurrences and offer our patients a better quality of care overall."
--Dr. Rosa Ospina, Chairman of Radiation Oncology at Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia; Bogota , Columbia.
From Business Wire
"We are very excited to bring the Mobetron and IOERT to Marburg . By providing this form of radiation treatment to our cancer patients, we are able to offer them the best in cancer care."
--Professor Engenhart-Cabilic, Department of Radio-Oncology, University Hospital Giessen and Marburg ; Marburg , Germany
From Imaging Technology News website, November 19, 2008