Whole-breast irradiation is the standard radiotherapy technique used after breast-conserving surgery. In the accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) protocols, only the lumpectomy bed plus a 1–2 cm margin are irradiated. The utility of APBI as sole adjuvant radiation therapy for early invasive and in situ breast cancer was investigated in a phase III randomized trial performed in 16 European hospitals. In patients who received APBI, disease-free survival and overall survival were similar to patients who received conventional whole-breast irradiation, validating APBI as an adjuvant radiation therapy option for breast cancer.
References
Strnad, V. et al. 5-year results of accelerated partial breast irradiation using sole interstitial multicatheter brachytherapy versus whole-breast irradiation with boost after breast-conserving surgery for low-risk invasive and in-situ carcinoma of the female breast: a randomised, phase 3, non-inferiority trial. Lancet 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)00471-7
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Romero, D. Partial breast irradiation is a valid option. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 13, 2 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrclinonc.2015.197
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrclinonc.2015.197
