7 Healthcast: Breast cancer irradiation

Radiation treatment for breast cancer patients can be a frightening and prolonged experience.

But a new therapy is now making it a little easier for some--

Karen Kubik, Accelerated partial breast irradiation patient
"My outcome has been as good or maybe even better that it would have been if I had the traditional treatment."

It's called 'accelerated partial breast irradiation.'

Dr. Philip Devlin, Chief of Brachytherapy at Brigham and Women's Hospital
"This is a radiation therapy which is completed within five days as opposed to the current gold standard of care which is to receive radiation for six and a half weeks."

Doctors say it targets the areas that contain the cancer cells...with a high dose of radiation.

Dr. Philip Devlin, Chief of Brachytherapy at Brigham and Women's Hospital
"The dose is biologically equivalent to the dose given over the five weeks, however, it is delivered to a much smaller part of the breast."

60-year-old Karen Kubik of Acton says the new therapy is helping her heal--

Karen Kubik, Accelerated partial breast irradiation patient
"I loved the fact that it gave me a chance to feel that I was getting back to normal as you could in a shorter amount of time."

She hopes other breast cancer patients can benefit as well.

Karen Kubik, Accelerated partial breast irradiation patient
"It was such a great experience I hope that other people will see this and not be afraid to investigate it for themselves."

Frances Rivera, 7News

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