Breast cancer is a serious disease that affects millions of women around the world. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, with over two million new cases being diagnosed every year.

However, recent advances in technology have led to the development of revolutionary therapeutic shapes that are improving breast cancer survival rates.

What are Therapeutic Shapes?

Therapeutic shapes are 3D-printed devices that are designed to be used during breast cancer treatment. They are customized to fit the exact shape and size of the tumor and the patient’s breast.

These devices are used during radiation therapy and help to protect healthy tissue from radiation, while also ensuring that the tumor receives an effective dose of radiation to help treat cancer.

How do Therapeutic Shapes Work?

During radiation therapy, a beam of high-energy radiation is directed at the cancerous tumor.

This radiation can also affect healthy tissue surrounding the tumor, which can lead to a range of side effects including skin irritation, pain, and even permanent damage to breast tissue.

Therapeutic shapes are designed to minimize the exposure of healthy tissue to radiation. They use a variety of techniques to achieve this, including by creating a gap between the tumor and the skin surface to protect the skin from damage.

They can also be designed to reduce radiation exposure to the heart and lungs, which are located near the breast and may be affected by breast radiation therapy.

What are the Key Benefits of Therapeutic Shapes?

There are several key benefits of using therapeutic shapes during breast cancer treatment:.

Customizable: Therapeutic shapes are customized to the patient’s specific tumor and breast shape, which means they offer a higher level of precision and accuracy in radiation therapy.
Minimize Side Effects: By reducing the exposure of healthy tissue to radiation, therapeutic shapes can also help to minimize side effects such as skin irritation or damage to breast tissue.
Improved Breast Cancer Survival Rates: Perhaps the biggest benefit of therapeutic shapes is that they are helping to improve breast cancer survival rates. Radiation therapy is an essential part of breast cancer treatment, and by providing a more effective dose of radiation to the tumor, therapeutic shapes can help to increase the chances of survival for breast cancer patients.

Real-Life Examples

While therapeutic shapes are still a relatively new technology, they are already making a big impact in the world of breast cancer treatment. Here are a few examples:.

Mayo Clinic: The Mayo Clinic was one of the first facilities to use therapeutic shapes in radiation treatment for breast cancer. They have reported an improvement in cancer survival rates since implementing the technology.
Ohio Health: Ohio Health has also reported a significant reduction in radiation exposure to healthy breast tissue, leading to better outcomes for breast cancer patients.
Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center: Researchers at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center in China have developed a new type of therapeutic shape that uses a flexible silicone material to protect the skin from damage during radiation therapy.

The Future of Therapeutic Shapes

Therapeutic shapes are still a relatively new technology in the world of breast cancer treatment. However, their potential is enormous, and researchers and medical professionals are working hard to improve and refine them further.

One of the key areas of focus for therapeutic shape development is to improve the accuracy of radiation therapy even further. This could involve using advanced imaging techniques such as MRI or CT scans to create even more precise shapes.

Another area of interest is the development of shape memory materials.

These materials can change shape in response to changes in temperature or other environmental factors, which could make them ideal for creating therapeutic shapes that adapt to changes in breast tissue during radiation therapy.

Conclusion

Breast cancer is a serious disease that affects millions of women around the world. However, thanks to advances in technology, we now have a new tool in the fight against breast cancer: therapeutic shapes.

Therapeutic shapes are customized 3D-printed devices that are designed to improve the accuracy of radiation therapy and reduce side effects.

They are already making a big impact in the world of breast cancer treatment, and researchers and medical professionals are working hard to improve and refine them further.