Accelerated partial breast irradiation brachytherapy was associated with a higher rate of later mastectomy, increased radiation-related toxicities and more post-operative complications compared to traditional whole breast irradiation, researchers reported Dec. 6 at the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in Texas. A team from MD Anderson Cancer Center analyzed Medicare claims from 130,535 beneficiaries who were diagnosed with cancer between 2000 and 2007. At five years, the incidence of mastectomy was 4% in the brachytherapy group compared to 2.2% in patients treated with whole breast irradiation, a statistically significant difference. There were also a greater number of infectious and non-infectious complications and post-operative fat necrosis in the brachytherapy group, among other complications. Data from randomized trials are warranted, and such studies are ongoing, the researchers note. “One should keep in mind that in either case the rate of mastectomy is still very low,” the American Society for Radiation Oncology underscored in a Dec. 9 statement on the findings. ASTRO also pointed out that the accelerated partial breast irradiation technology has improved since 2007. Makers of accelerated partial breast irradiation brachytherapy systems include Hologic (Mammosite) and iCad (Axxent eBx).
In women with breast cancer undergoing a lumpectomy, Dune Medical’s MarginProbe breast lumpectomy system was associated with a 57% reduction...
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