Intraoperative Radiotherapy (IORT) is used for accelerated, partial breast irradiation.


June 9, 2010 - A single radiation dose during intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) is at least as effective as longer post-operative treatments, according to results from a study presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting, held June 4-8 in Chicago and published in the Lancet June 5.

In the study, TARGIT (targeted intraoperative radiotherapy), the radiation therapy is confined to the area of the breast where the tumor has been removed. Researchers reported that TARGIT is as effective at preventing breast cancer recurrence as whole breast radiotherapy and can be completed in one hospital visit.

After surgery to conserve the breast, 90 percent of cancer recurrences occur very near to where the removed tumor was (index quadrant), despite the presence of multicentric cancers elsewhere in the breast. Researchers suggested restriction of radiation therapy to the site of the tumor bed during surgery may be suitable for selected patients. The authors compared targeted intraoperative radiotherapy with the conventional policy of whole breast external beam radiotherapy.

The trial enrolled women aged at least 45 years with invasive ductal breast carcinoma undergoing breast-conserving surgery were enrolled.

A total of 1,113 patients were randomly allocated to targeted intraoperative radiotherapy and 1,119 were allocated to external beam radiotherapy.

Of 996 patients who received the allocated treatment in the targeted intraoperative radiotherapy group:

- 854 (86 percent) received targeted intraoperative radiotherapy only
- 142 (14 percent) received targeted intraoperative radiotherapy plus external beam radiotherapy

There were 1,025 (92 percent) patients in the external beam radiotherapy group received the allocated treatment.

At four years, there were:

- Six local recurrences (of cancer) in the intraoperative radiotherapy group
- Five local recurrences (of cancer) in the external beam radiotherapy group

Occurrence rates in the two groups were similar; 1-20 percent in the targeted intraoperative radiotherapy and 0-95 percent in the external beam radiotherapy group.

The researchers found targeted intraoperative radiotherapy almost completely avoids irradiation of the intrathoracic structures such as the heart, lung, and oesophagus. Consequently, the damage to these structures, which can occur even with modern external beam radiotherapy, will have been avoided.

They wrote in their conclusion: "For selected patients with early breast cancer, a single dose of radiotherapy delivered at the time of surgery by use of targeted intraoperative radiotherapy should be considered as an alternative to external beam radiotherapy delivered over several weeks."

Reference: Vaidya, J., et al. "Targeted intraoperative radiotherapy versus whole breast radiotherapy for breast cancer (TARGIT-A trial): an international, prospective, randomised, noninferiority phase 3 trial." The Lancet. June 5, 2010. DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(10)60837-9

For more information: www.thelancet.com


Related Content

News | Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT)

June 25, 2025 — Royal Philips and Indiana-based Methodist Hospitals recently announced the healthcare provider’s ...

Time June 25, 2025
arrow
News | Breast Imaging

June 25, 2025 — QT Imaging Holdings, Inc., a medical device company engaged in research, development, and ...

Time June 25, 2025
arrow
News | Radiation Therapy

May 14, 2025 — Siemens Healthineers is investing $150 million in new projects to expand production, create jobs and ...

Time May 15, 2025
arrow
News | Radiation Oncology

May 2, 2025 — GE HealthCare has announced an intended expansion of its radiation oncology portfolio as well as the ...

Time May 03, 2025
arrow
News | Mammography

April 29, 2025 — iCAD, a global provider of clinically proven AI-powered cancer detection solutions, has announced a ...

Time April 29, 2025
arrow
News | Mammography

April 24, 2025 — GE HealthCare will feature its latest advancements in diagnostic accuracy and patient-centered breast ...

Time April 24, 2025
arrow
News | Radiology Education

April 21, 2025 — On June 20, the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) will award Life Member status to ...

Time April 21, 2025
arrow
News | Radiology Business

April 16, 2025 — According to a new report, the U.S. Radiotherapy Market is projected to reach $2.49 billion by 2030 ...

Time April 17, 2025
arrow
News | ASTRO

March 14, 2025 — Another pivotal milestone in the nation’s fight against cancer recently took place with the ...

Time March 17, 2025
arrow
News | Artificial Intelligence

March 10, 2025 — Lunit, a provider of AI-powered solutions for cancer diagnostics and therapeutics, has published a ...

Time March 10, 2025
arrow
Subscribe Now