ASTRO Updates Clinical Guidance on Accelerated Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer

The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), the premier radiation oncology society in the world, recently updated their guidelines for accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) in the treatment of patients with early-stage breast cancer. 

APBI is a breast radiation therapy in which focused radiation is delivered specifically to the part of the breast where the tumor was removed and is administered in a higher dose over a shorter time than what is given in standard whole-breast radiation therapy. 

The updated guideline, titled “Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation: Executive summary for the update of an ASTRO Evidence-Based Consensus Statement,” was published in Practical Radiation Oncology (PRO), a bimonthly journal whose mission is to improve the quality of radiation oncology practice, updates the 2009 ASTRO consensus statement for APBI. 

Drawing on clinical evidence published in the last eight years that shows that more patients could benefit from this accelerated therapy, the new guideline lowers the age gap considered suitable to receive APBI and includes patients with low-risk ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).  

Philadelphia CyberKnife, in cooperation with the department of Radiation Medicine at Georgetown University Hospital, is evaluating accelerated partial breast irradiation delivered with the CyberKnife® Robotic Radiosurgery System in early stage breast cancer in five treatments through a registry study.  For the study, patients with Stage 0 or Stage I breast cancer will be given radiosurgery to the region of their tumor bed within 12 weeks of breast conserving surgery.  The purpose of the study is to assess the results and side effects of this treatment. 

“Partial breast radiation has been tested in more than 10,000 women over the past decade,” said Olusola Obayomi-Davies, M.D., radiation oncologist at Philadelphia CyberKnife.  “We now know that treatment outcomes are similar when whole breast radiation or partial breast radiation is used, meaning that more women can receive this form of accelerated and targeted breast cancer treatment.” 

If you, or a loved one, have been diagnosed with breast cancer and would like information about the partial breast irradiation study, or to learn more about the breast cancer treatment options available to you, please contact Philadelphia CyberKnife today.