Radiotherapy following surgery for breast cancer reduces the chances of cancer recurrence by 50% over the next 10 years, andit minimizes the risk of breast cancer mortality by one-sixth for the 15 years following surgery, a study led by Oxford University researchers has found.
The findings, published in the Lancet medical journal, stem from a study by the Early Breast Cancer Trialists’ Collaborative Group in which the histories of the women who participated in 17 trials of radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery are brought together. The outcomes for each woman were followed for a decade on average.
Cancer recurrence in patients was noticeably reduced within the first year after radiotherapy, and this trend lasted through the first decade. Ten years following breast cancer diagnosis, cancer recurred in 35% of the women who did not receive radiotherapy, compared with 19% of the women treated with radiotherapy.
The effect of radiotherapy on breast cancer mortality was also evident. Fifteen years after breast cancer diagnosis, 25% of the women who did not receive radiotherapy had died from breast cancer, compared with 21% of the women treated with radiotherapy.
Furthermore, the researchers indicate that radiotherapy did not significantly contribute to deaths from all causes over the 15-year period.
While many aspects of breast cancer treatment have changed since these trials began, researchers note that knowing the long-term benefits of radiotherapy for women with breast cancer will continue to help guide future treatment.
Source: University of Oxford.