A new prospective study has reported that a three-week schedule of whole-breast irradiation is as effective as the standard five-week schedule in preventing local breast cancer recurrence in early breast cancer survivors. The optimal schedule for whole-breast irradiation after lumpectomy (breast-conserving surgery) has not been determined. The total dose of radiation for a given woman usually is divided into smaller doses called fractions. Currently, one fraction is normally administered five days a week for at least five weeks. The study included 1,234 women with early-stage invasive breast cancer who (1) had undergone breast-conserving surgery; (2) had surgical margins clear of cancer; and (3) had negative axillary lymph nodes.

Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups. The hypofractionated-radiation group (622 women) were administered whole-breast irradiation at a dose of 42.5 Gy in 16 fractions over a period of 22 days. The control group (612 women) received whole-breast irradiation at a standard dose of 50.0 Gy in 25 fractions over a period of 35 days. Hence, the hypofractionated-radiation group received a significantly lower total cumulative dose over a shorter period of time than the control group. The risk of local recurrence at 10 years was found to be 6.2% among the women in the hypofractionated-radiation group, compared to 6.7% among the control group, a difference that was not statistically significant. After 10 years, 69.8% of the hypofractionated-radiation group compared to 71.3% of the control group had either a good or excellent cosmetic outcome, a difference that was also not significant. The authors conclude that 10 years after treatment, accelerated, hypofractionated whole-breast irradiation was not inferior to standard radiation treatment in women who had undergone breast-conserving surgery for invasive breast cancer with clear surgical margins and negative axillary lymph nodes.

Certain foods can influence effectiveness of radiation treatment

Radiation can result in side effects such as short-term fatigue, short-term and long-term skin damage, and injury to the heart and lungs. While obtaining relief from these side effects obviously is desirable, it is very important for breast cancer patients undergoing radiation treatment to avoid consuming foods or taking supplements that will lessen the cytotoxic impact of radiation on breast cancer cells. There are certain foods that can enhance the effectiveness of radiation treatment and others that can interfere with it. Please see our web page on what to eat during radiation treatment for recommendations regarding diet during radiation treatment.