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Hope in the fight against breast cancer

17 October 2020 4 min read

ZEISS uses its technology, expertise and commitment to develop promising solutions which provide lasting help and hope.

Intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) with ZEISS INTRABEAM offers an alternative to conventional external beam radiotherapy in the fight against breast cancer.

A breast cancer diagnosis is frightening and stressful, and so is the treatment and its side effects. These days, however, there is now a highly effective and less invasive therapy option in the form of intraoperative radiotherapy. The radiation is administered in a single, approximately 30-minute dose during the operation directly after the surgical removal of the tumor. This means that the traditional follow-up radiotherapy – which typically lasts about six weeks – can be shortened or, in the best-case scenario, even skipped altogether. Healthy adjacent tissue and skin is left unharmed. That means the efficacy of the treatment remains the same, just with a shorter radiation duration with less radiation exposure.

The clinical study results published in August 2020 provide grounds for optimism, with one-time, targeted intraoperative radiotherapy (TARGIT) using ZEISS INTRABEAM found to be noninferior to external beam radiotherapy (EBRT). There is equal risk of tumor recurrence in the breast; however, the non-breast-cancer mortality is reduced.¹

The TARGIT method, using INTRABEAM from ZEISS, is the result of two decades of interdisciplinary research. The clinical endorsements for the method are motivating the medical technology team at ZEISS to continue working intensively on innovative technological solutions that help doctors to improve their patients’ quality of life. Over 45,000 people have already been treated using the TARGIT method. More than 260 breast cancer clinics in 38 countries have adopted this method.²

How the method works

1. A minimally invasive entry point is created during surgery.

2. The tumor is surgically removed.

3. The suitable applicator is determined and positioned in the tumor cavity.

4. The tumor bed is irradiated locally for approx. 30 minutes.

Benefits compared to conventional radiation¹
- Equal clinical effectiveness
- Lower local recurrence rate (tumor regrowth)
- Significantly shorter radiation duration
Benefits for patients¹
- Less pain in the breast
- Increased quality of life thanks to less exposure
- Better cosmetic results
Benefits for sustainability
- Further reduction of resource consumption and of clinic space needed because special rooms are unnecessary and ZEISS INTRABEAM is highly mobile
- Savings from lower purchase and operating costs

1.200

Carbon emissions reduced by 1,200 tonnes

(equivalent to 100 hectares of forest)³
170k

170,000 fewer hours worked

(can be used instead for childcare, volunteer work or paid work, for example)³
8 Mio

8 million fewer commuting kilometers

(traveling to clinic)³

How the method works

as well as further information about INTRABEAM from ZEISS can be found here.

Not all products, services or offers are approved or offered in every market and approved labeling and instructions may vary from one country to another. For country-specific product information, see the appropriate country website. Product specifications are subject to change in design and scope of delivery as a result of ongoing technical development.

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