(ChemotherapyAdvisor) – Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation (APBI) using strut-based brachytherapy is an effective treatment for patients with Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS), according to researchers from several U.S.-based institutions. The conclusion is based on a paper entitled “Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation Using a Strut-Based Brachytherapy Device for the Treatment of Ductal Carcinoma In Situ of the Breast,” which was presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Breast Surgeons.
Led by John Einck, MD, a radiation oncologist of the University of California, San Diego Moores Cancer Center, the team of investigators presents the largest series of DCIS patients reported to date, all of whom were treated with the APBI using strut-based brachytherapy. Using the Strut-Based Brachytherapy Research Group (SBBRG) database, the investigators identified patients with DCIS at 12 institutions treated with strut-based brachytherapy for APBI.
For the 274 patients (median age: 62 years) with DCIS that received APBI using strut-based brachytherapy between 2007 and 2011, the risk of ipsilateral in-field recurrence was 1.4%, with no recurrences for women under 50 years of age. Adverse events included 12 infections in 229 patients (5.2%); the incidences of grade >3 telangiectasis, fibrosis, and prolonged seroma were 0%, 3.3%, and 2.2%, respectively.
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The investigators concluded: “APBI using strut-based brachytherapy is an effective treatment for patients with DCIS. Excellent dosimetry was achieved in the majority of cases leading to low local recurrence rates and acceptably low toxicity.”
