Study: Variety of Factors Influence Rate of Breast-Conserving Therapy

The rates of breast-conserving therapy (BCT) for women with breast cancer vary greatly based on geography, doctor and patient biases, and availability of radiation treatment services, according to the researchers from Duke University.

Lower BCT rates also tend to be seen in the South and at non-specialty care centers, they reported at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology's Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

Investigators compared the pathology database of a community hospital before and after the opening of an on-site radiation therapy consultation and treatment facility to identify patients who had breast cancer surgery during the years 1994 to 1995, prior to the on-site clinic opening and 1997 to 1998, after the clinic opened.

Pathology information was reviewed to find out whether the women had a mastectomy or BCT.

Of the 282 women diagnosed and treated for breast cancer before the radiation therapy facility opened, mastectomy was performed on 201 patients (71 percent) and 81 women were treated with BCT (29 percent).

After the radiation clinic opened, of the 304 women diagnosed and treated for breast cancer, 171 had a mastectomy (56 percent) and 133 received BCT (44 percent).

"There was an increased utilization of BCT at a community hospital following the opening of an on-site radiation therapy facility," said Dr. Carol Hahn, lead investigator of the study. "As there were no known changes in demographics or surgical staffing during the evaluated period, the effect can be ascribed to the accessibility of an on-site radiation treatment unit and an active presence of radiation oncology."

Other Sources: U.S. Senate