title: Polymeric composite devices for localized treatment of early-stage breast cancer.
abstract: For early-stage breast cancers mastectomy is an aggressive form of treatment. Therefore, there is a need for new treatment strategies that can enhance the use of lumpectomy by eliminating residual cancer cells with limited side effects to reduce local recurrence. Although, various radiotherapy-based methods have been developed, residual cells are found in 20-55% of the time at the first operation. Furthermore, some current treatment methods result in poor cosmesis. For the last decade, the authors have been exploring the use of polymeric composite materials in single and multi-modal implantable biomedical devices for post-operative treatment of breast cancer. In this paper, the concept and working principles of the devices, as well as selected results from experimental and numerical investigations, are presented. The results show the potential of the biomedical implants for cancer treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Ghana, Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Kwabena
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kan-Dapaah
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Worcester, MA, United States of America.
authors.forename: Nima
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0159-0025
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rahbar
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States of America.|Princeton Institute for Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM), Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States of America.|Department of Mechanical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, United States of America.|Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Worcester, MA, United States of America.
authors.forename: Wole
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Soboyejo
mesh_terms: D020341:Absorbable Implants; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015412:Mastectomy, Segmental; D053761:Nanocomposites / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D036103:Nanotechnology; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual / Q000517:prevention & control; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers