FRIDAY, Aug. 21, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Single-dose targeted intraoperative radiotherapy (TARGIT-IORT) during lumpectomy is an effective alternative to external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), according to a study published online Aug. 19 in The BMJ.
Jayant S. Vaidya, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., from University College London, and colleagues conducted a randomized trial in 32 centers in 10 countries involving 2,298 women aged 45 years and older with invasive ductal carcinoma up to 3.5 cm in size, stage cN0-N1, who were eligible for breast conservation. Participants were randomly assigned before lumpectomy to either risk-adapted TARGIT-IORT (1,140 patients) or EBRT (1,158 patients).
The researchers found that TARGIT-IORT was noninferior to EBRT, with a local recurrence risk at five-year follow-up of 2.11 and 0.95 percent, respectively. For TARGIT-IORT versus EBRT, 13 additional local recurrences were reported as well as 14 fewer deaths in the first five years. No statistically significant difference was found for local recurrence-free survival, mastectomy-free survival, distant disease-free survival, overall survival, and breast cancer mortality with long-term follow-up (median, 8.6 years). Significantly lower mortality from other causes was observed.
“We believe that the long term data presented in this paper, together with many benefits for the patient, provide compelling evidence in favor of TARGIT-IORT as an effective alternative for this large group of patients with early breast cancer who are suitable for breast conservation,” the authors write.
Several authors disclosed financial ties to medical device companies, including Carl Zeiss Meditec, which manufactures the Intrabeam device.
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