This is the criteria from the National Institute of Health: Accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) is an excellent treatment option for many women with early stage breast cancer. Patient selection criteria include age over 40, status post lumpectomy, breast cancer (invasive or in situ disease) measuring <3 cm, negative margins (at least 2 mm), negative lymph nodes, and no lymphovascular space invasion. APBI is effective, well-tolerated, and convenient. Women with early-stage breast cancer and their caregivers should be aware of this potential treatment option.

@skc1979 If you can get the "Tomo Therapy," jump on it, take it! I've never heard of it AND I can tell you that I had a very hard time with the 6 weeks of radiation. It was the time it took. It might be possible that chemo would take care of any random cancer cells that might be lurking somewhere.

Happy Birthday!

The treatment with the catheter is not the same thing as APBI. APBI is just like regular radiation but is accelerated (more radiation in less treatments) and only targets the area where the tumor was rather than the entire breast.

From what my doc told me APBI is better then whole breast radiation especially if you bc was on the left. (Protection of the heart). That was a big selling point gor me. 5days as opposed to weeks also sounds great! But the whole cathader thing is a bit scarey. Not going to work with that thing in. Thats for sure!