A single high-dose radiation treatment is just as effective as the usual five lower-dose sessions for patients with non-metastatic breast cancer, a study by Iridium Network revealed on Wednesday.
This new approach means patients can undergo 40% less radiation and have fewer trips to the hospital.
Iridium Network is a Belgian radiotherapy network that includes seven hospitals from Antwerp and Waasland.
"Most hospitals still use five to fifteen standard doses and five to eight booster doses for radiotherapy," the study noted. "However, a one-time ‘boost radiation’ after a breast-conserving surgery is as effective as the standard treatment."
Under the new protocol, breast cancer patients without lymph node involvement require only six radiation sessions: five regular doses for the breast and one high-dose ‘boost’ to the area where the tumour was located.
The study also found that the cosmetic outcomes (appearance of the breast post-radiation) were comparable.
Each year, more than 11,000 women in Belgium are diagnosed with breast cancer, and approximately 70% of them undergo radiation therapy.
The Iridium study involved 132 breast cancer patients to determine if an additional high-dose ‘boost’ radiation was necessary after the initial treatment.
The participants were randomly assigned to receive either five regular doses or one high-dose ‘boost’ radiation.
