Breast cancer treatment success of Mersey medics

Dec 26 2007 by Liam Murphy, Liverpool Daily Post

A TREATMENT for breast cancer, tested in Wirral, which cuts radiotherapy from six weeks to five days, is to be rolled out across the UK.

Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology (CCO) is the first cancer centre in the UK to offer a brachytherapy treatment known as MammoSite for patients with early stage breast cancer.

Described by leading doctors as potentially curative, the radiotherapy technique enables the treatment time to be reduced from six weeks to as little as five days, following breast surgery. In the US and globally, the technique has already been used success- fully on more than 30,000 women.

Breast cancer specialist consultants Dr Zafar Malik, Dr Sun Myint and consultant physicist Chris Lee, from Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology, have studied the technique at a cancer centre in Miami.

They will now co-ordinate and lead on training other medical professionals in implementing the technique at national cancer centres throughout the UK.

Dr Malik said: “This new tech- nique is particularly attractive because it significantly reduces the treatment time for patients, allowing them to return to their normal activities more quickly. It has had a hugely positive psychological and physical effect on the patients.”

A number of Merseyside women have already benefited from the treatment, including Maureen Lambert, 73, from Irby, who was diagnosed with breast cancer and had surgery in 2004. Mrs Lambert said: “I feel very privileged and would encourage other women with breast cancer who are suitable for this treatment to give it some consideration.”

Mary Daniels, 63, from Upton, a teacher at Woodchurch High School, was diagnosed with breast cancer in January, 2004, and was the first patient to be identified as suitable and to receive this new treatment at the Centre.

She said: “I felt incredibly supported by the helpfulness and enthusiasm of the staff.”

liammurphy