A Houston study reveals that women with early stages of breast cancer are better off undergoing a shorter course of radiation as this is more powerful. Other recent studies show no difference in rates of recurrence and survival. Fractionation is nothing but the radiation division is less amounts but carried out for more days to decrease the harmful effects on the cells.
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Historically in the management of breast cancer in the U.S., radiation treatment has been given in smaller doses over a longer period of time, in a method called conventionally fractionated whole breast irradiation (CF-WBI), rather than with higher doses over a shorter period of time, or hypofractionated whole breast irradiation (HF-WBI). At six month follow up, toxicities were generally similar between the HF-WBI and CF-WBI patients, although the HF-WBI patients were noted to have less fatigue, and better ability to care for their family, compared to those treated with CF-WBI.
Shaitelman, the first author of the study and a professor of radiation oncology stated that the underlying message was that for women who are aged 40 years or more experiencing early stage breast cancer the standard care should be higher dose shorter radiation though the longer course of treatment has been the standard for too long.
The study, published this week in JAMA Oncology, is the first comprehensive analysis comparing quality of life effects from the two regimens of breast cancer radiation therapies. All patients had undergone breast conserving surgery and were diagnosed with breast cancer stage 0 to 2. According to the researchers of the new study, their findings should be imparted to women so as to enhance their power to make disease treatment decisions together with their doctors.
Meanwhile, the shorter with the higher dose approach is known as hypofractionated whole breast irradiation, which has been around almost a decade in the United States.
Factors that presented risk for breast cancer were also accounted for, with 76 percent of the women being obese or overweight. He added that he was no longer regarding the shorter course treatment as just another option for the patients, but is the preferred starting point for a dialogue with the patients whether they were in need of whole breast radiation.
The researchers found that those getting shorter radiation course experienced less acute toxicity during treatment, such as breast pain, dermatitis, skin darkening and fatigue.
“This study fills in a missing piece in the literature”, says Benjamin Smith, the study’s corresponding author.
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The study continues a trend suggesting less is more in radiation treatment.
