Exclusive brachytherapy as the only modality
of treatment after surgery for low-risk breast cancer
Brachytherapy as the sole modality of treatment
for patients treated with conservative surgery for low-risk breast cancer has
been demonstrated to be as effective as whole-breast radiotherapy. A recent
report published at the Internacional Journal of
Radiation Oncology Biology Physics (IJROBP 2003 55:289-293), by all the american’s scientists who are researching in partial breast
irradiation for several years, refers that exclusive brachytherapy
is a safe treatment with few side-effects and low complications rate and who
offers (at least at short-term) results very similar to a 5.5 weeks full course
of external beam radiotherapy to the whole breast. The main advantages of
treatment rely on the shortening of the treatment time that is completed in 5
days instead of the 5.5 weeks usually required. Exclusive brachytherapy
is, now a days, offered only to those postmenopausal
women with low-risk tumors less than 2cm maximum
diameter, without positive axillary nodes and whose tumor has positive hormonal receptors.
Brachytherapy applicator is inserted in the
lumpectomy cavity at the same time of surgery. Three days later a CT scan is
performed for dosymetry and treatment is began. Treatment is done in an out-patient basis. Once
treatment is completed, applicator is removed and no further treatment is
needed.
Side effects are limited to a slight
erythema in the skin over the treated area.
The IMOR Foundation is the
pioneering center in