Shorter-Course Breast Irradiation

Women undergoing lumpectomy experienced less toxicity with fewer but larger fractions of adjuvant radiotherapy.

Whole-breast irradiation using hypofractionation (HF; e.g., 40 to 42 Gy in 15 to 16 fractions) has been shown in randomized trials from Canada and the U.K. to be as effective as conventional fractionation (CF; 50 Gy in 25 fractions) in reducing breast cancer recurrence. However, HF has not been widely embraced in the U.S., largely because of concerns about toxicity with higher fraction sizes as well as differences in U.S. patients (which have higher body-mass index than their foreign counterparts) and in U.S. practice (which routinely employs boost radiation). Now, two multicenter U.S. trials compare the toxic effects of HF versus CF adjuvant radiotherapy in women undergoing breast-conserving surgery for early breast cancer.

In the study by …

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)