For women who have ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast, breast brachytherapy with a strut-based applicator appears to be an effective treatment, according to a groundbreaking multisite study. This form of accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) is a 5-day therapy that follows lumpectomy surgery.
John Einck, MD, the study’s lead author and a radiation oncologist at the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, said, “Based on these results and other findings, there is emerging data that APBI provides excellent rates of cancer control and low toxicity in properly selected DCIS patients.”
For the study, researchers used data from 265 patients treated from 2007 to 2011 at 12 sites in the US with a follow-up time of 20.1 months and a median age of 62 years.
Patients were treated with a strut-adjusted volume implant (SAVI) device. For early-stage breast cancer patients, SAVI delivers a shortened course of radiation therapy following lumpectomy surgery. Because of the design of the device, physicians were able to sculpt radiation based on patient-specific anatomy.
Of 265 patients studied, 14% had 5 mm or less between the brachytherapy applicator and the surface of the skin during treatment. This demonstrates the ability of the device to make 5-day treatment available for many women with cancers close to the skin. Without this treatment option, these patients would have to undergo 6 weeks of whole breast irradiation.
Upon analysis of symptomatic posttreatment events, researchers reported no fat necrosis or hyperpigmentation. Low rates of seroma, breast pain, and telangiectasia were reported.
“The biggest concern in treating DCIS with APBI is the risk of local recurrence, but this study has shown very low rates of recurrence that compare favorably with the data that is available for whole breast irradiation,” said Kerri Perry, MD, a Denton, Texas, breast surgeon and a coauthor of the study.
Source: Cianna Medical.