March 6, 2007

Multicatheter Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation (APBI)

In early 2007, we (Dr Shaik and myself) started on a journey to learn and develop Multicatheter Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation (APBI) treatment, which was and still is the latest radiotherapy technique. With the help of Dr Rakesh Patel, who was at the University of Wisconsin, USA and Uli from Nucletron, we visited Dr Patel at Wisconsin Uni in mid 2007 to see a demonstration of the multicatheter technique. Vital to the success of any radiotherapy programme, we engaged …my physicist, Poh Wee from the start to ensure we had a workable team (Breast surgeon, Radiation Oncologist and Physicist).
11 years on, we now have a very successful multicatheter APBI programme and now treat patients who would otherwise opt for non-breast conservation therapy as well as train fellow physicians worldwide through Masterclasses at the Brachyacademy School, Breast Workshops and Breast Brachytherapy Fellowships at NUH, Singapore.

Publications:
1. MULTI-CATHETER INTERSTITIAL ACCELERATED PARTIAL BREAST IRRADIATION – TIPS AND TRICKS FOR A GOOD INSERTION.
Tang JI, Tan PW, Koh VY, Buhari SA. J Contemp Brachytherapy. 2014 Mar;6(1):85-90

2. COMPARING A VOLUME BASED TEMPLATE APPROACH AND ULTRASOUND GUIDED FREEHAND APPROACH IN MULTICATHETER INTERSTITIAL ACCELERATED PARTIAL BREAST IRRADIATION.
Koh VY, Buhari SA, Tan PW, Tan YI, Leong YF, Earnest A, Tang JI. J Contemp Brachytherapy. 2014 Jun;6(2):173-7

3. ASSESSING RADIATION EXPOSURE OF THE LEFT ANTERIOR DESCENDING ARTERY, HEART AND LUNG IN PATIENTS WITH LEFT BREAST CANCER: A DOSIMETRIC COMPARISON BETWEEN MULTICATHETER ACCELERATED PARTIAL BREAST IRRADIATION AND WHOLE BREAST EXTERNAL BEAM RADIOTHERAPY.
Chan TY, Tan PW, Tan CW, Tang JI. Radiother Oncol. 2015 Dec;117(3):459-66

4. ACCELERATED PARTIAL BREAST IRRADIATION IN AN ASIAN POPULATION: DOSIMETRIC FINDINGS AND PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF A MULTICATHETER INTERSTITIAL PROGRAM.
Koh YV, Tan PW, Buhari SA, Iau P, Chan CW, Shen L, Tan SH, Tang JI. ONCO TARGETS THER. 2016 SEP 8;9:5561-6.