Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation for Early Breast Cancer

Adjuvant APBI with multicatheter brachytherapy after breast-conserving surgery is not inferior to standard whole-breast irradiation with boost for selected patients.

Accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) can be delivered for breast cancer by several means and can reduce the length of treatments from a standard 3- to 6-week course to a single to 5-day course.

To compare the efficacy of APBI versus conventional whole-breast irradiation (WBI), European investigators conducted a multicenter, randomized, phase III, noninferiority trial involving 1184 breast cancer patients with stage 0 or pathologic lymph node–negative invasive tumors ≤3 cm in diameter who underwent breast-conserving surgery. Approximately 86% of patients had invasive tumors that were ≤2 cm in diameter, and 5% had ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). Surgical margins needed to be ≥2 mm or, with DCIS or invasive lobular cancer, ≥5 mm. APBI…

Reviewing Author

Henry Mark Kuerer, MD, PhD, FACS

Disclosures

Speaker's BureauPhysicians’ Education Resource, LLC

RoyaltiesMcGraw-Hill Professional; UpToDate, Inc.

Editorial BoardsAnnals of Surgical Oncology

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society of Breast Surgeons (Chair, Publications Committee)