The IMOR institute, a medical center in Barcelona specialized in brachytherapy and oncoradiotherapy, was the first in the peninsula to apply intraoperative radiotherapy with INTABEAM® technology to a patient affected by breast cancer. This technique makes it possible to treat precisely the area where there is a greater risk of the cancer reproducing and has several physical and psychological advantages for patients.
A novel technique in Spain
The operation took place last March and was performed on an icdsalud patient at the Clínica del Pilar, using INTABEAM® Zeiss System technology, an innovative low-energy X-ray equipment, whose implementation in Spain is new, although it has been used routinely for years in other European countries. The international research group Targit has been studying this method of delivering radiotherapy for breast cancer since 1998, and the trial results show that the total number of recurrences is very low.
Characteristics of the treatment
Unlike other treatments, it stands out because the radiation is applied directly to the tumor bed, in open tissue, at the time of surgery after removal of the tumor. For this reason, it offers advantages in terms of effectiveness and accuracy, since it allows precise treatment of the area where there is a greater risk of the cancer reproducing, with a depth of between 1 and 2 cm and without damaging the adjacent healthy tissue.
Rapid recovery
Intraoperative radiotherapy can reduce the time of radiation after surgery, which is usually six weeks. In the case of patients with a low risk profile, it can even be eliminated. Likewise, the application of this technique has advantages for patients in physical and psychological aspects, and also presents advantages in terms of time and cost savings, since it reduces the number of trips to the hospital.
Reference center
Institut IMOR is a reference center for oncological treatments. Apart from intraoperative radiotherapy, it is a pioneer in Spain in techniques such as image-guided radiotherapy and brachytherapy. Through Barcelona Medical Center (BCM), it attends a large number of foreign patients. Dr. Benjamín Guix, a specialist in radiotherapy, is its director. He has published more than 200 articles and more than twenty books on the specialty. He has been widely recognized by the profession with awards such as: American Brachytherapy Society Award (ABS) 2009, European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology Award (ESTRO) 2007 and International Brachytherapy Award (ASTRO) 2000, among others.