Purpose of Technology
For intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT), a single high dose of radiation is given to the tumor bed at the time of breast-conserving surgery in patients with early-stage breast cancer, which has not spread beyond the breast or lymph nodes in the armpit of the affected side. IORT is an alternative to several weeks of postoperative external-beam radiotherapy, which destroys residual cancer cells and reduces the likelihood of tumor recurrence.
Relevant Questions
-
Is single-fraction IORT/IOERT at least as effective as standard EBRT for controlling local tumor recurrence in patients undergoing BCS for early-stage breast cancer?
-
Is single-fraction IORT/IOERT at least as effective as standard EBRT in terms of long-term outcomes such as disease-free survival and breast cancer mortality in these patients?
-
Is IORT/IOERT safe, and how does its complication rate compare with standard EBRT?
-
Have definitive patient selection criteria been established for IORT/IOERT for patients with early-stage breast cancer?
If you have a Hayes login, click here to view the full report on the Knowledge Center.