Some cutting edge technology Mammosite Target Radiation Therapy is taking place right here in Omaha.

The technology in breast cancer treatment is taking place right here in Omaha. Think about it- breast cancer treatment that takes just one week!  It's called Mammosite Target Radiation Therapy and it's being tested at The Nebraska Medical Center. For women battling breast cancer it means keeping your breasts and beating cancer with less pain.

It was supposed to be a routine breast exam for Kristy Gerry, until doctors diagnosed the 54-year-old with early stages of breast cancer. It's a disease that didn't run in her family until that week. "Prior to that day there was no breast cancer history in my family. That week my sister was diagnosed with breast cancer as well," says Gerry.

Gerry didn't flinch, she immediately took action to get treatment. For many women that means weeks of painful radiation and many end up taking drastic action to avoid it. It's reported that 40% of all women diagnosed with early stages of breast cancer choose to have a mastectomy.

Doctor Andrew Wahl hopes Mammosite Radiation will reduce that number. Wahl says the best thing about the procedure is it's easy.  "When you increase access to radiation therapy based on convince, I think that you're going to decrease the chance that a patient has a mastectomy," says Dr. Wahl.

Dr. Wahl shows Action 3 News' Liz Dorland exactly how the device works.  He says once the tumor is removed from the breast tissue a balloon is inserted. Connected to the balloon is a long catheter.  "The radiation is connected to the catheter and a source can be inserted through the catheter and placed within the central portion of the balloon. The radiation can then be admitted," he says.

Twice a day patients receive treatment in about 30 minutes. It's reported patients are done with treatment after only one week!  Gerry says the procedure was easier than going to the dentist. "I've had experiences in the dental chair that are more uncomfortable than and painful than this was," she says.  Gerry continues to add she returned to work the same day and didn't feel any side effects.

The breast cancer patient says she didn't realize exactly how lucky she was to receive the cutting edge treatment until sitting down with other women diagnosed with the disease.  "Their experiences just were not like like mine at all and that's when I realized this is amazing."

Dr. Andrew Wahl says Mammosite Radiation has been around for about 5 or 6 years. Nebraska Medical Center is part of a national trial.  Candidates are women diagnosed with early breast cancer.  You must be 45-years-old or older and your Lymph nodes can not be compromised or involved. He says some of the side effects reported are: mild fatigue, skin redness, infections and a cosmetic change to the breast.

Source: Nebraska Medical Center

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