Radiation Lowers Relapse Risk in Noninvasive Breast Cancer

A new review confirms that the addition of radiation therapy to lumpectomy in the treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), a noninvasive early form of breast cancer, substantially decreases the risk of recurrence of either DCIS or invasive breast cancer in the affected breast.

In addition, there appear to be no long-term side effects from the radiation, such as damage to the heart or lungs.

Co-author Dr. Annabel Goodwin and colleagues from the Westmead Hospital in Australia and the University of Sydney looked at recent studies that evaluated the addition of radiation therapy after lumpectomy in the treatment of DCIS.

“We wanted to assess whether breast conserving surgery followed by radiotherapy is better than breast conserving surgery alone,” Goodwin said. “We also wanted to investigate if there was any short- or long-term toxicity from the use of radiotherapy to determine the balance between benefit and harm.”

The review appears in the latest issue of The Cochrane Library, a publication of The Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research. Systematic reviews draw evidence-based conclusions about medical practice after considering both the content and quality of existing medical trials on a topic.

source: Health Behavior News Service