IMRT reduces risk of side effects in patients treated for breast cancer

A new study published in Practical Radiation Oncology, the journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology, found that breast cancer patients treated with intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) have a lower incidence of acute or chronic toxicities than those who receive standard whole breast irradiation (WBI). Researchers compared WBI to IMRT with WBI, using both typical and accelerated treatment times. They determined that radiation therapy using IMRT, regardless of the length of treatment, is associated with greatly reduced toxicities in patients compared with WBI. “Our data support the increasing role of IMRT in delivering not only whole breast irradiation but also whole breast irradiation using an accelerated treatment time,” radiation oncologist Frank Vicini said. “This is great news for breast cancer patients who, if eligible, can not only receive their radiation treatment in a shorter amount of time but also reduce their risk of many side effects.”