Initial surgical experience evaluating early tolerance and toxicities in patients undergoing accelerated partial breast irradiation using the Contura® multi lumen balloon breast brachytherapy catheter

Abstract

We reviewed our surgical experience with the Contura® Multi Lumen Balloon breast brachytherapy catheter used to deliver accelerated partial breast irradiation and determined short-term treatment efficacy, cosmesis, and toxicity. Forty-six patients undergoing breast conserving therapy, including the use of Contura® catheter, were analyzed. Thirty-four Gray were delivered in 10 fractions. Fourteen patients had stage 0, 24 had stage I, and 8 had stage II breast cancer. Catheters were placed with a closed cavity technique. Median minimum skin spacing was 10 mm (range, 2-18 mm). Median maximum skin doses were 99.7 per cent of the prescription dose. Nine patients were treated with a skin spacing ≤5 mm (2 patients with 2 mm skin spacing). The percentage of patients with excellent/good cosmesis at 6 (n = 26) and 12 (n = 13) months was 100 per cent, respectively. Patient tolerance was assessed on a scale of 0-10 (0 = no pain, 10 = requiring narcotic analgesics). Pain was graded ≤3 in 98 per cent of patients at catheter insertion and 84 per cent at catheter removal. Four breast infections (8.8%) and one symptomatic seroma developed. Adjuvant accelerated partial breast irradiation using the Contura® Multi Lumen Balloon exhibited similar toxicities to standard single lumen, single dwell balloon brachytherapy with improvements in dosimetric capabilities allowing the treatment of patients with skin spacing ≤5 mm.