Balloon Internal Radiation

This treatment places a tube with a balloon at one end in the breast at the site where the cancer was removed. The tube and balloon can be placed during the lumpectomy or in a surgeon’s office afterward. During each treatment, a radioactive seed is placed into the center of the balloon. The treatment lasts for 5 to 10 minutes, long enough to deliver the required dose of radiation. It is done twice a day for 5 days. Once treatments are completed, the tube and balloon are removed through a small hole in the skin.