One-Week Radiotherapy for Breast Cancer Safe, Effective Up to 10 Years

Follow Drugslib on

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on May 27, 2025.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, May 27, 2025 -- A five-fraction, one-week schedule of adjuvant breast radiotherapy is as safe and effective as a standard three-week schedule for patients with invasive breast cancer who have undergone breast surgery, according to a study presented at the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology, held from May 2 to 6 in Vienna.

Adrian M. Brunt, M.B.B.S., from Keele University in Stoke-on-Trent, England, and colleagues randomly assigned 4,110 patients with invasive breast cancer (pT1-3 pN0-1 M0) who had undergone breast surgery to 40 gray in 15 fractions (40Gy/15Fr) over three weeks, 27Gy/5Fr over one week, or 26Gy/5Fr over one week of radiotherapy to the whole breast/chest wall. The primary end point was five-year ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence; follow-up continued to 10 years.

The researchers identified 116 ipsilateral breast tumor recurrences over 10-year follow-up. The shorter radiotherapy schedule provides a similar level of cancer control to standard treatment, with no additional long-term side effects observed. Breast tumor recurrence occurred in 3.6 percent of patients in the 40Gy/15Fr group and in 2.0 percent of patients in the 26Gy/5Fr group, meeting the criteria for noninferiority.

"This 10-year analysis provides definitive long-term evidence that one-week radiotherapy to the breast is a safe, effective, and more practical option for breast cancer patients," Brunt said in a statement.

More Information

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

Source: HealthDay

Posted : 2025-05-28 06:00

Read more

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Popular Keywords