Research News on Radiation Therapy
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Higher Risk of Local Recurrence with Partial-Breast Irradiation
Research comparing partial-breast irradiation to whole-breast irradiation found no differences in survival or the risk of the cancer spreading to other parts of the body; still, there was a difference in the risk of the cancer coming back in the same breast or the lymph nodes near the same breast.
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Brachytherapy Seems OK for Early-Stage Disease in Women with Implants
In a small study, internal radiation after lumpectomy didn't cause the capsules of existing breast implants to contract, leading to good cosmetic results.
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Reconstruction with Implant Immediately After Mastectomy Affected More by Radiation
A small study suggests that reconstruction done immediately after mastectomy using tissue from the body offers better results after radiation compared to immediate reconstruction using implants.
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Efaproxiral Doesn’t Improve Radiation Benefits Against Metastatic Breast Cancer in Brain
New research suggests that the experimental medicine Efaproxyn (chemical name: efaproxiral) doesn't improve the benefits of radiation therapy to the brain to treat breast cancer that has spread there.
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Lower-Dose Radiation Seems OK After Lumpectomy
Women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer with no lymph node involvement who got a lower dose of radiation for a shorter time after lumpectomy had the same outcome as women who got standard radiation therapy (a higher dose for a longer time).
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MammoSite System Seems Just as Good as Whole Breast Radiation
Women who got internal partial-breast irradiation with the MammoSite system, also known as brachytherapy, had the same outcomes as women who got traditional external radiation therapy in the 3 to 4 years after lumpectomy to treat early-stage breast cancer.
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Electronic Internal Radiation Device Shows Promise
Preliminary results show the Axxent brachytherapy system, which uses electricity and miniature x-ray tubes instead of radiative materials, successfully delivered specified doses of radiation therapy to 44 women so far.
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Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy Can Mean Fewer Skin Issues
Women who received radiation therapy using a special technique known as intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), were 17% less likely to develop scaling or peeling skin in the area exposed to radiation compared to women who got radiation therapy using traditional techniques.
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Less Frequent, Higher Dose Radiation Therapy Seems Just as Good as Traditional Regimen
New research shows that a shorter, but more intensive, course of radiation therapy may be just as effective as current treatment plans for women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer.
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Surgeon Characteristics Affects Whether Women Get Radiation After Lumpectomy
Surgeons' characteristics seem to affect whether women receive radiation therapy after lumpectomy.
