IORT (Intraoperative Radiation Therapy) is a radiation therapy technique where a concentrated dose of radiation is delivered to a cancer tumor site during surgery, after the tumor has been removed. Hoag was the first hospital in Orange County to offer IORT as a complete replacement for traditional radiation therapy.
With Intraoperative Radiation Therapy, radiation treatment takes place during surgery and lasts about 8-20 minutes. This treatment utilizes a skilled surgeon and Radiation Oncologist to lead both steps of the procedure. In general, patients who receive IORT do not need other forms of radiation therapy for care, eliminating the trouble of daily treatments for several weeks. Unlike traditional radiation therapy, IORT uses a single radiation dose and treats a more targeted area of breast tissue.
There are several benefits to IORT, including:
The radiation dose is delivered directly to the tissue most likely to harbor microscopic cancer
Minimizes radiation exposure to normal, healthy surrounding tissue
Provides simple, one-step treatment without hassle of radiation delivered over weeks
Helps to eliminate non-compliance (patients failing to complete 6-7 weeks of radiation therapy)
Not all women are candidates for IORT, so please speak with your physician about IORT. To schedule an appointment with a Hoag breast surgeon, please call us at 949-764-5780.