?:definition
|
-
Breast catheters with a balloon at the distal tip and a cap that sticks out of the skin on the proximal end; these catheters are intended for brachytherapy treatment. The balloon attached to the catheter is either left in the surgical cavity (e.g., after extraction of a breast lump) or introduced after surgery. Several treatments are performed after surgery by introducing a single high-dose radioactive source (a \'seed\' attached to a wire) into the balloon through the catheter for a predetermined period of time. The radioactive source is delivered by a remote-afterloading brachytherapy system. The treatment is used to facilitate the control or cure of breast cancer or to relieve symptoms of breast cancer.
|