Breast cancer radiotherapy targeting original tumour site ‘is as effective as harsher treatment’, study claims
Patients who received more focused treatment reported fewer long-term changes
TARGETING radiotherapy at the original tumour site is just as effective as zapping the whole breast – and has fewer side effects, a study found.
Patients who received the more focused treatment reported fewer long-term changes to the appearance and feel of their breast after five years.
And they were no more likely to relapse – with only 1 per cent of patients seeing their cancer return in the treated breast over this period.
Researchers studied 2,018 women aged 50 and over at 30 radiotherapy centres across the UK.
All were diagnosed with early stage breast cancer that was at a low risk of coming back and received breast-conserving surgery.
A third then received whole breast radiotherapy – which is the current clinical standard – and a third received targeted breast radiotherapy.
The remainder received targeted breast radiotherapy, with a lower dose applied to the rest of the breast.
They each received 15 separate treatments over three weeks.
Study leader Dr Charlotte Coles, from the University of Cambridge, said: “We started this trial because there was evidence that if someone’s cancer returns, it tends to do so close to the site of the original tumour, suggesting that some women receive unnecessary radiation to the whole breast.
“Now we have evidence to support the use of less, but equally effective, radiotherapy for selected patients.”
Professor Judith Bliss, from The Institute of Cancer Research, London, said: “We’re delighted that the results of this trial have the potential to lead to a real change in the way selected breast cancer patients are treated.
“The technique used here can be carried out on standard radiotherapy machines so we anticipate that these results will lead to further uptake of this treatment at centres across the country and worldwide.”
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Professor Arnie Purushotham, from Cancer Research UK, said: “One of the challenges when treating early stage breast cancer is trying to minimise the side effects that can have a real impact on a woman’s life, without affecting the chances of curing her.
“This approach could spare many women significant physical discomfort and emotional distress.”
The UK Royal College of Radiologists said the technique could now be used for selected patients outside of the study.
Hilary Stobart, 62, from Cambridgeshire, was treated with partial breast radiotherapy after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009.
She said: “Any cancer diagnosis is shocking. There’s such a lot to take in and it takes time to process.
“I was in the group that had the least amount of radiotherapy. I had very few side effects – just some soreness at the start, but that was it. I am pleased that I was part of this study.”
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, with around 55,200 people diagnosed with the disease each year. Some 11,400 patients die from it over that period.
The findings are published in The Lancet medical journal.