Preoperative Breast Radiotherapy: A Tool to Provide Individualized and Biologically-Based Radiation Therapy

Summary:

In 1990, the NIH concluded that conservative surgery followed by radiotherapy was the preferred treatment for women with early-stage breast cancer as no survival advantage was seen in women only receiving a more radical mastectomy. Unfortunately, some women electing to receive breast conserving surgery struggled to complete the recommended 6-week radiotherapy. Numerous studies have demonstrated that the local recurrence rates in these women receiving conservative surgery alone are unacceptably high. As a result, there is a need for a more convenient alternative to standard radiotherapy. The investigators propose a single session of pre-operative radiation to intact tumor. This allows for more precise targeting of target tissue, can be done at most radiation facilities, and will ultimately increase cosmetic outcomes.

Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02482376