WASHINGTON, D.C. - Officials at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have approved a new device for treating breast cancer.
The MammoSite Radiation Therapy System is an implanted catheter intended to treat women who had a cancerous lump removed in its early stages of development. The catheter sends radiation directly to the area where the lump was removed, avoiding radiating outlying tissue.
Manufactured by Proxima Therapeutics Inc., of Alpharetta, Georgia, the treatment option may last one to five days and is removed afterward. Although it is intended for all women, some may need whole-breast radiation for complete treatment.
