Cancer Surgery
Cancer care specialists at Gadsden Regional Medical Center provide a range of treatment options that are tailored to meet each patient's individual needs. Doctors plan treatment by consulting with surgeons, chemotherapy and radiation specialists to develop the most effective approach. In most cases, several approaches are combined to provide treatment. Gadsden Regional Medical Center offers surgical treatments for several types of cancer.
Breast Cancer
Breast cancer can be treated through radiation therapy or surgery. If surgery is performed to remove a tumor, a balloon will be implanted into the tumor cavity through a small incision in the skin. Once in place, the balloon is inflated with saline to fill the cavity. The balloon shaft will remain on the outside of the breast, and because it is thin and flexible, it can be easily tucked into a bra. On the fifth day, after the final treatment is complete, the balloon applicator will be deflated and removed.
Skin Cancer
Surgical excision is the most common skin cancer treatment, but in certain patients primary or postoperative radiotherapy can be an alternative. The treatment site can be prepared with a flexible shield, cut to shape to surround the target area and protect the surrounding tissues. A miniaturized X-ray source is energized to deliver a short, targeted dose of radiation to the site.
Radiation Therapy
If your doctor recommends radiation therapy for cancer treatment, ask about the options available.
Electronic Brachytherapy
Gadsden Regional Medical Center offers electronic brachytherapy (eBx) as an additional treatment option for breast cancer and skin cancer patients.
Advantages may include:
- Continual monitoring with presence of therapist
- Fewer visits required than external beam therapy
- Greater patient comfort
- No radioactive isotopes used in therapy
- Smaller treatment areas
Electronic brachytherapy (eBx), an alternative to radioactive isotope-based therapies, utilizes a miniaturized X-ray source to deliver high-dose radiation to a specific area at low energy, which reduces potential radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissue and organs. This makes eBx a viable treatment option for more areas of the body and a broader range of cancer diagnoses. eBx also replaces the traditional six-and-a-half weeks of daily treatments with just 10 treatments, twice daily, within five days. Brachytherapy is administered under the direction of a radiation oncologist and performed as an outpatient procedure, so no hospital stay is needed.