PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

EBRT reduces risk of subsequent mastectomy in patients with invasive breast cancer

2014-01-30
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Brittany Ashcroft
press@astro.org
703-839-7336
American Society for Radiation Oncology
EBRT reduces risk of subsequent mastectomy in patients with invasive breast cancer Fairfax, Va., January 29, 2014— Standard external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) provided a higher breast preservation rate than brachytherapy in women age 66 and older with invasive breast cancer, according to a study published in the February 1, 2014 print edition of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics (Red Journal), the official scientific journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

Brachytherapy after lumpectomy is an increasingly popular treatment protocol for breast cancer; however, there is conflicting data regarding its effectiveness. Additionally, published suitability criteria directing patient selection for brachytherapy have not been empirically validated. This study compares the long-term likelihood of breast preservation, risks of post-operative complications and local toxicities, and validity of suitability categories of three treatment strategies after lumpectomy: EBRT, brachytherapy and no radiation.

This study used the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked database to identify 35,947 women, age 66 and older, diagnosed with invasive breast cancer (79.9 percent) or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) (20.1 percent) from 2002 to 2007 and treated with lumpectomy alone (23 percent), lumpectomy followed by brachytherapy (3.6 percent) or lumpectomy followed by EBRT (73.4 percent). Patients with invasive breast cancer were also classified as suitable (34.7 percent), cautionary (17.6 percent) or unsuitable (35.2 percent) for brachytherapy based on ASTRO's Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation Consensus Statement. Twelve-and-a-half percent of patients were unclassified. The patients with DCIS in this study were analyzed separately. For this study, patients age 70 or older were classified as "older suitable."

The median follow-up for patients was 3.5 years. For this study, subsequent mastectomy is defined as a claim for mastectomy identified from one year after diagnosis until December 31, 2009, which was the last date of follow-up. The five-year cumulative incidence of subsequent mastectomy for patients with invasive breast cancer was 4.7 percent for those treated with lumpectomy alone, 2.8 percent for those treated with lumpectomy followed by brachytherapy and 1.3 percent for those treated with lumpectomy followed by EBRT. In patients with DCIS, 2.2 percent underwent subsequent mastectomy during follow-up. The five-year cumulative incidence of subsequent mastectomy in patients with DCIS was 3.2 percent for those treated with lumpectomy alone, 4.6 percent for those treated with brachytherapy and 1.6 percent for those treated with EBRT.

In this study, brachytherapy was associated with a greater likelihood of breast preservation than lumpectomy alone, while EBRT showed more likelihood of breast preservation than brachytherapy. When stratified into the ASTRO-defined suitability groups, the study found suitable group patients were the least likely to undergo subsequent mastectomy and had the smallest absolute difference when comparing those treated with brachytherapy and those treated with EBRT. The small number of patients with DCIS treated with brachytherapy in this cohort does not allow definitive conclusions on the effectiveness of brachytherapy for these patients.

"Brachytherapy offered a breast preservation benefit, although in general this benefit was slightly less than the benefit derived from standard external beam radiation therapy," said Benjamin D. Smith, MD, a co-author of the study and associate professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. "Our findings suggest that certain patients with very favorable tumors do just as well with either brachytherapy or standard external beam radiation therapy, whereas other patients with higher risk tumors seem to do better with standard external beam radiation therapy."

The February 1 print edition of the Red Journal also contains two editorials addressing breast brachytherapy and examining the data from this study. Peter Y. Chen, MD, a radiation oncologist at William Beaumont Health System in Royal Oak, Mich., emphasizes the need to ensure guidelines keep up with changing data. Robert R. Kuske, MD, a radiation oncologist at Arizona Breast Cancer Specialists in Scottsdale, Ariz., and S. Stanley Young, PhD, the assistant director for bioinformatics at the National Institute of Statistical Sciences, explore the reported differences between breast brachytherapy and whole breast irradiation from the statistical and clinical implications.

INFORMATION:

For a copy of the manuscript of the study or the editorials, contact Brittany Ashcroft at 703-839-7336, press@astro.org. For more information about the Red Journal, visit http://www.redjournal.org.

ABOUT ASTRO

ASTRO is the premier radiation oncology society in the world, with more than 10,000 members who are physicians, nurses, biologists, physicists, radiation therapists, dosimetrists and other health care professionals that specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. As the leading organization in radiation oncology, the Society is dedicated to improving patient care through professional education and training, support for clinical practice and health policy standards, advancement of science and research, and advocacy. ASTRO publishes two medical journals, International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics and Practical Radiation Oncology; developed and maintains an extensive patient website, http://www.rtanswers.org; and created the Radiation Oncology Institute, a non-profit foundation to support research and education efforts around the world that enhance and confirm the critical role of radiation therapy in improving cancer treatment. To learn more about ASTRO, visit http://www.astro.org.

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Screening for transformed human mesenchymal stromal cells with tumorigenic potential

2014-01-30
Researchers at Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands, led by Dr. Qiuwei Pan and Dr. Luc van der Laan, have discovered that spontaneous tumorigenic ...

Study uncovers molecular keys to invasive bladder cancer

2014-01-30
HOUSTON – The once sketchy landscape of the molecular defects behind bladder cancer now ...

Sea level variations escalating along eastern Gulf of Mexico coast

2014-01-30
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Around the globe, sea levels typically rise a little in summer and fall again in winter. Now, a new study shows that, from the Florida Keys to southern Alabama, those fluctuations ...

Findings point to potential treatment for virus causing childhood illnesses

2014-01-30
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Researchers have discovered a potential treatment for a viral infection that causes potentially fatal brain swelling and paralysis in children. The findings also point ...

Engineer brings new twist to sodium-ion battery technology

2014-01-30
A Kansas State University engineer has made a breakthrough in rechargeable battery applications. Gurpreet Singh, assistant professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering, and his student researchers ...

Dinosaur fossils from China help Penn researchers describe new 'Titan'

2014-01-30
A team led by University of Pennsylvania paleontologists has characterized a new dinosaur based on fossil remains found in northwestern China. The species, a plant-eating sauropod ...

Study examines effects of corporate downsizing on managerial diversity

2014-01-30
WASHINGTON, DC, January 27, 2014 — A new study finds that corporate downsizing reduces managerial diversity, especially when layoff decisions consider workers' position or tenure. ...

New data contradict current recommendations for management of breast biopsy abnormalities

2014-01-30
PHILADELPHIA — Contrary to existing understanding, long-term follow-up of patients with two types of breast tissue abnormalities suggests that both types ...

Having a baby after fertility issues improves couples chances of staying together

2014-01-30
New reseach reveals that women who have a child after experiencing fertility problems are more likely to remain with their partner following infertility evaluations. Findings in Acta Obstetricia ...

Infants know plants provide food, but need to see they're safe to eat

2014-01-30
Infants as young as six months old tend to expect that plants are food sources, but only after an adult shows them that the food is safe to eat, according to new research ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Malnutrition in children rises when economy drops

New model enables the study of how protein complex influences mitochondrial function

Device study offers hopes for spinal cord injuries

How urea forms spontaneously

Mayo Clinic’s AI tool identifies 9 dementia types, including Alzheimer’s, with one scan

Gene therapy improves blood flow in the brain in patients with sickle cell disease

Building breast tissue in the lab to better understand lactation

How gut bacteria change after exposure to pesticides

Timepoint at which developing B-cells become cancerous impacts leukemia treatment

Roberto Morandotti wins prestigious IEEE Photonics Society Quantum Electronics Award 

New urine-based tumor DNA test may help personalize bladder cancer treatment

How a faulty transport protein in the brain can trigger severe epilepsy

Study reveals uneven land sinking across New Orleans, raising flood-risk concerns

Researchers uncover novel mechanism for regulating ribosome biogenesis during brain development

RNA codon expansion via programmable pseudouridine editing and decoding

Post-diagnosis emergency department presentation and demographic factors in malignant skin cancers

A new genetic tuner for embryo development

Insurance churn and the COVID-19 pandemic

Postpartum Medicaid use in birthing parents and access to financed care

Manufacturing chemicals via orthogonal strategy, making full use of waste plastic resources in real life

Study overturns long-held belief about shape of fish schools

Precision oncology Organ Chip platform accurately and actionably predicts chemotherapy responses of patients suffering from esophageal adenocarcinoma

Verify the therapeutic effect of effective components of lycium barbarum on hepatocellular carcinoma based on molecular docking

Early intervention changes trajectory for depressed preschoolers

HonorHealth Research Institute presents ‘monumental’ increase in survivability for patients suffering ultra-low blood pressure

Mitochondrial dynamics in breast cancer metastasis: From metabolic drivers to therapeutic targets

Removing out-of-pocket fee improves access to 3D mammography

Does reducing exposure to image and video content on messaging apps reduce the impact of misinformation? Yes and no

A global microbiome preservation effort enters its growth phase

New credit card-sized TB test could close the diagnostic gap in HIV hotspots

[Press-News.org] EBRT reduces risk of subsequent mastectomy in patients with invasive breast cancer