Overview of accelerated partial breast irradiation

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Radiation Oncology
• Surgical Oncology

Background:

• Breast conserving therapy (BCT) is standard for early-stage breast cancer.
• Whole breast irradiation (WBI) is a lengthy component of BCT.
• Partial breast irradiation may be an alternative for selected patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current data on accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) modalities.
• To assess the effectiveness and safety of APBI in early-stage breast cancer.
• To discuss the potential for APBI to become a new standard of care.

Main Methods:

• Review of published phase 1/2 data on APBI modalities.
• Inclusion of multicatheter interstitial brachytherapy, MammoSite brachytherapy, and 3D conformal external-beam radiation therapy.
• Discussion of accumulated data and future research directions.

Main Results:

• Published data demonstrate excellent local control rates with APBI.
• Cosmetic outcomes following APBI have been reported as excellent.
• APBI shows promise as an effective treatment for selected early-stage breast cancer patients.

Conclusions:

• Accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) is a viable option for select early-stage breast cancer patients.
• Current evidence supports excellent local control and cosmetic results.
• Further research is ongoing to establish APBI as a potential new standard of care in breast cancer treatment.