Early and Intermediate Treatment Outcome After Postoperative External Beam Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation in Patients With Early-Stage Breast Cancer

PURPOSE

To prospectively evaluate early and intermediate outcome after accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) in patients early-with stage breast cancer.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Inclusion criteria were defined according to the APBI American Society for Radiation Oncology's ASTRO Evidence-Based Consensus Statement. The prescribed dose was 26 to 28 Gy in 5 fractions on 5 consecutive days. Regular follow-up visits with objective and subjective evaluation of treatment tolerance were performed after 0 and 2 weeks, 6 months, and at annual intervals.

RESULTS

Between February 2017 and January 2020, 175 patients with breast conserving surgery met the inclusion criteria for APBI. Mean age was 65.7 years (range, 46-88). Thirteen percent of patients received a diagnosis with carcinoma in situ, 55%, 35%, and 37% with T1a/b/c, and 10% with T2 stages, respectively. The mean volume of planning target volume (PTV) was 119 cc (range, 45-465), the ratio of mean PTV: whole breast volume ratio was 21% (7%-53%). Mean follow-up was 42 months (median, 45, range, 0-67). Acute toxicity after 2 weeks was low with 69%, 26%, and 5% grade 0, 1, and 2. In addition, 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year follow-up data were available from 146, 134, 107, 73, and 25 patients. Patient-reported cosmetic outcomes were assessed excellent or good in 97.9%, 98.5%, 98.1%, 98.6%, and 100%. Regarding grade 2 toxicities, as by now 3%, 2%, 2%, 0%, and 0% G2 fibrosis, 1%, 1%, 0%, 0%, and 0% G2 atrophy, no G2 skin telangiectasia or breast edema occurred. So far, none of the patients have experienced G3 toxicity or higher. The remaining patients had grade 0 or 1 toxicity only. Five ipsilateral breast recurrences (1 marginally to PTV, 4 out-of-field) and 5 distant recurrences were recorded by March 2023. The 4-year in-breast recurrence rate was 2.5%. Eight patients died, with 2 of them from disease. For all patients, the 4-year overall, cancer specific and disease-free survival rates were 97.1%, 99.4%, and 95.3%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

We showed high early- and intermediate-term treatment tolerance and disease control of APBI using 26 to 28 Gy in five fractions in one week in carefully selected patients with early breast cancer. APBI is highly appreciated by patients and efficient, as an additional advantage for busy centers.

Single-Institution Prospective Evaluation of Moderately Hypofractionated Whole-Breast Radiation Therapy With Simultaneous Integrated Boost With or Without Lymphatic Drainage Irradiation After Breast-Conserving Surgery

Purpose

We report treatment outcomes for patients who received adjuvant moderate hypofractionated whole-breast radiation therapy with simultaneous integrated boost (SIB-mhWBRT) after breast-conserving surgery.

Methods and Materials

SIB-mhWBRT for patients with breast cancer was introduced in our department in July 2017. This prospective evaluation includes 424 consecutive patients treated with SIB-mhWBRT for stage I-III invasive breast cancer (n = 391) and/or ductal carcinoma in situ (n = 33) until December 2021. SIB-mhWBRT was applied with 40 Gy in 15 daily fractions over 3 weeks according to the START B trial, with an SIB dose to the tumor bed of 48 Gy according to Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 1005/UK-IMPORT-HIGH, delivered as 3-dinemsional conformal radiation therapy (RT; n = 402), intensity modulated RT (n = 4), or volumetric modulated arc therapy (n = 18). The mean patient age was 60 years (range, 27-88). Since May 2018, patients with indications for lymphatic pathway RT were included (n = 62). Baseline parameters and follow-up data were recorded and reported, including objective assessment of treatment-related outcomes and subjective patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).

Results

Mean/median follow-up was 29/33 months (range, 2-60). Acute toxicity grade 0, 1, 2, and 3 was observed in 25.0%, 61.4%, 13.3%, and 0%, respectively, at the completion of RT. Data of 281, 266, 243, 172, and 58 patients were available for 6-month and 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-year follow-up, respectively. Grade 2 late effects were identified in 8.5%, 6.0%, 4.9%, 2.2%, and 10.2% and grade 3 in 2.8%, 1.1%, 1.2%, 0%, and 0% of patients at 6-month and 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-year follow-up, respectively. Medical treatment of breast edema was the only grade 3 late effect observed. PROM cosmesis results were evaluated as excellent-good, fair, and poor in 97.2%, 2.5%, and 0.4%; 96.5%, 3.1%, and 0.4%; 97.4%, 2.2%, and 0.4%; 97.5%, 2.5%, and 0%; and 96.5%, 3.5%, and 0.0% at 6 months and 1, 2, 3, and 4 years post-RT, respectively. For all patients, the 3-year overall, cancer-specific, and disease-free survival rates were 98.2%, 99.1%, and 95.9%, respectively. Three-year risk of any locoregional recurrence was 0.6%. No mortality or relapse was observed in patients with ductal carcinoma in situ.

Conclusions

SIB-mhWBRT demonstrated very favorable side effect profiles and cosmesis/PROMs. Three-year results demonstrate excellent locoregional control. This short-term regimen offers substantial patient comfort and improves institutional efficacy.

Quality of radiotherapy services in post-Soviet countries: An IAEA survey

BACKGROUND

The quality of radiotherapy services in post-Soviet countries has not yet been studied following a formal methodology. The IAEA conducted a survey using two sets of validated radiation oncology quality indicators (ROIs).

METHODS

Eleven post-Soviet countries were assessed. A coordinator was designated for each country and acted as the liaison between the country and the IAEA. The methodology was a one-time cross-sectional survey using a 58-question tool in Russian. The questionnaire was based on two validated sets of ROIs: for radiotherapy centres, the indicators proposed by Cionini et al., and for data at the country level, the Australasian ROIs.

RESULTS

The overall response ratio was 66.3%, but for the Russian Federation, it was 24%. Data were updated on radiotherapy infrastructure and equipment. 256 radiotherapy centres are operating 275 linear accelerators and 337 Cobalt-60 units. 61% of teletherapy machines are older than ten years. Analysis of ROIs revealed significant differences between these countries and radiotherapy practices in the West. Naming, task profile and education programmes of radiotherapy professionals are different than in the West.

CONCLUSIONS

Most countries need modernization of their radiotherapy infrastructure coupled with adequate staffing numbers and updated education programmes focusing on evidence-based medicine, quality, and safety.