Brachytherapy for Breast Cancer: Maybe Not So Good

Adverse event rates and risk for subsequent mastectomy were higher after brachytherapy than after whole-breast irradiation.

Brachytherapy uses an implanted radioactive source to deliver radiation therapy. The upsides of brachytherapy after lumpectomy include shorter duration than the typical 6 to 8 week course of conventional whole-breast irradiation (WBI), and more-limited exposure of normal breast tissue to radiation. Although some data suggest that brachytherapy compares favorably with WBI in efficacy and adverse events, most reports have included small numbers of participants and short follow-up. Large, randomized trials that address this issue have yet to yield even preliminary results, but long-term follow-up is critical to put efficacy and toxicity into perspective. Nevertheless, use of brachytherapy is on the rise.

Using a Medicare claims dataset from the…

Reviewing Author

William J. Gradishar, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardLilly; AstraZeneca; Gilead

Grant/Research SupportBreast Cancer Research Foundation

Editorial BoardsClinical Breast Cancer; Oncology; Annals of Surgery; Breast Cancer Research and Treatment

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesNational Comprehensive Cancer Network (Chair, Breast Cancer Panel); American Board of Internal Medicine (Medical Oncology Board)