Nengliang Yao1, Abram Recht2. 1. Department of Public Health Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Virginia, P.O. Box 800717 Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA. Electronic address: ayao@virginia.edu. 2. Department of Radiation Oncology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Radiation Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The underutilization of radiation therapy after breast-conserving surgery in early-stage breast cancer patients has been attributed to the inconvenience and potential side effects of whole-breast radiation treatment regimens. Accelerated partial-breast irradiation (APBI) involves twice-daily treatments more than 4 to 5 days, which could potentially improve convenience and adherence for women undergoing treatment. METHODS: We studied local therapies in about one-third of a million female breast cancer patients who were diagnosed between January 2000 and June 2011. RESULTS: We found that the use of APBI brachytherapy increased rapidly from .2% in 2000 to about 3.1% in 2008 and leveled off after 2009. The increased use of APBI did not reduce the percentage of early-stage breast cancer patients who improperly forego radiation (about 14% over the whole study period). CONCLUSIONS: Noncompliance with adjuvant radiation is still common when shortened radiation therapy becomes increasingly accessible.
BACKGROUND: The underutilization of radiation therapy after breast-conserving surgery in early-stage breast cancerpatients has been attributed to the inconvenience and potential side effects of whole-breast radiation treatment regimens. Accelerated partial-breast irradiation (APBI) involves twice-daily treatments more than 4 to 5 days, which could potentially improve convenience and adherence for women undergoing treatment. METHODS: We studied local therapies in about one-third of a million female breast cancerpatients who were diagnosed between January 2000 and June 2011. RESULTS: We found that the use of APBI brachytherapy increased rapidly from .2% in 2000 to about 3.1% in 2008 and leveled off after 2009. The increased use of APBI did not reduce the percentage of early-stage breast cancerpatients who improperly forego radiation (about 14% over the whole study period). CONCLUSIONS: Noncompliance with adjuvant radiation is still common when shortened radiation therapy becomes increasingly accessible.
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