Electron intraoperative treatment in patients with early-stage breast cancer: data update.

Intraoperative radiotherapy is a technique where a high, single-fraction radiation dose is delivered directly to the tumor bed during a surgical procedure, after the removal of a neoplastic mass, with minimal exposure of surroundings tissues, which are displaced and shielded during the procedure. Intraoperative radiotherapy has been used in the treatment of various malignancies, mostly in combination with external beam radiation therapy. The long-term results suggest a positive impact on local controls that appear to be associated with increased survival. Modern intraoperative radiotherapy can be performed either with electron beams or photons, and has been used recently in early-stage cancer as a boost or as an exclusive treatment, especially for breast tumors, with extremely promising results. The results of different clinical studies have demonstrated the feasibility of the technique and it is expected that its application will become more widespread in the immediate future. Intraoperative electron radiotherapy in the treatment of initial-stage breast cancer may be an excellent alternative to external beam radiation therapy in an appropriate selected group of patients. However, intensive long-term follow-up is required for a better evaluation of local control and possible side effects.