Breast Cancer and Radiation Therapy

The American Society of Clinical Oncology just released a study that challenges the existing paradigm of breast cancer treatment. They found that targeting one dose of radiation on the area where a breast tumor was removed was as effective as weeks of radiation targeting the entire breast.

The dose can be delivered during surgery limiting the radiation of the cancer to a single day. This one day therapy also avoids radiating the heart, lung and esophagus. Typically, radiation therapy is given 5 days a week for as long as 6 weeks, which in itself can set the stage for future cancer of these organs. In addition this one day therapy will avoid burning the skin on the upper chest which is a painful side effect of this therapy.

This is great news for breast cancer patients with small, well-defined tumors who undergo lumpectomies.