Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 2, 2026
Voluntary Breath-hold Technique for Reducing Heart Dose in Left Breast Radiotherapy
Published on: July 3, 2014
One Week, One Boost, One Goal: Feasibility, Safety and Local Control in Breast Ductal Carcinoma In Situ With
A Montero1, R Ciervide2, B Alvarez2
1Department of Radiation Oncology, HM Hospitales, Madrid, Spain; Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Camilo José Cela, Madrid, Spain.
Aims:
Data on feasibility and safety of ultra-hypofractionated radiotherapy (UHF-RT) for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) remain limited, particularly regarding its use with a simultaneous integrated boost (SIB).
Materials And Methods:
This prospective cohort study included 100 women with histologically confirmed DCIS treated between April 2020 and May 2024. Ninety patients underwent breast-conserving surgery, and 10 received postmastectomy radiotherapy due to high-risk features. All patients received UHF-RT to 26 Gy in five fractions, with SIB to 29-32 Gy delivered using three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy or volumetric modulated arc therapy. Acute and late toxicities were assessed per Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 5.0, and recurrence-free survival was analysed using Kaplan-Meier estimates.
Results:
At a median follow-up of 44 months, all patients were alive and disease-free except one, who experienced in situ recurrence at 31 months and was successfully salvaged. The 48-month actuarial local control rate was 98.8%. Acute toxicity was mostly grade 1 dermatitis (57%) or oedema (10%). No grade ≥3 toxicity was observed. Fat necrosis occurred in 11% of patients, all asymptomatic. Late events included hyperpigmentation (9%), fibrosis (6%), and mild pain (28%). No clinical or dosimetric variables were significantly associated with toxicity.
Conclusion:
Ultra-hypofractionated whole-breast radiotherapy with SIB is feasible, safe, and well-tolerated in patients with DCIS, including those at high risk postmastectomy. These findings provide early evidence supporting its use, pending results from ongoing randomised trials.
