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Consultant Radiation Oncologists with special interest in breast
- Dr. Clare Faul
- Dr. Orla McArdle
The St Luke’s Radiation Oncology Network radiation centre at Beaumont provides a comprehensive breast cancer radiation service to the Beaumont Breast cancer service. Since the centre first opened in 2011 the emphasis has been on the delivery of modern optimum quality radiation therapy. Over 350 breast cancer patients have been treated at the Beaumont centre in 2015. All patients are discussed at a weekly breast multidisciplinary meeting which is attended by Dr Clare Faul and Dr Orla McArdle consultant radiation oncologists with a subspecialist interest in breast cancer management.
Patients have access to a wide range of radiation techniques in the Beaumont radiation centre. These include three dimensional fractionated radiation therapy to the breast and lymph node regions. Intensity modulated radiation therapy for subgroups of patients with more complex breast cancer including treatment of the internal mammary chain nodes. Recently two novel radiation treatment techniques have been introduced. Deep inspiration breath hold technique for left sided breast radiation. Avoidance of Heart dose in radiation therapy is a priority in modern radiation delivery. The DIBH technique allows radiation to the breast while reducing significantly any radiation delivered to the heart. This theoretically will reduce long term toxicity for breast cancer patients. Studies have shown heart sparing radiation techniques such as DIBH can reduce heart dose by up to 50%.
A novel radiation technique the first in Ireland (Intraoperative radiation therapy) was introduced to Beaumont hospital last year by Dr Orla McArdle in conjunction with Professor A Hill and Mr C Power. The “intrabeam” device allows well selected breast cancer patients to be treated in one day with radiation directly applied to the surgical cavity at the time of surgery avoiding the need for radiation over a three to 6 week schedule. Decreasing overall treatment time has several advantages over fractionated radiation therapy including avoidance of delay in radiation therapy, and reduction of radiation dose to uninvolved portions of breast tissue and adjacent organs.
The radiation Oncology service is actively involved with a number of ongoing research trials in Breast cancer and both Dr McArdle and Dr Faul are active members of the Cancer Trial Ireland Research group and Dr Faul is a board member of the St Luke’s Institute for Cancer Research.
