Study: Extra Does of Radiation After Lumpectomy Cuts Risk of Recurrence

Women with early breast cancer who get an extra dose of radiation after a lumpectomy appear to have a much lower risk of cancer recurrence, according to researchers at the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam.

The extra radiation approach appears to work best in women age 50 or younger, according to the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

All 5,000 women who took part in the study underwent a lumpectomy and then received radiation directed at the entire breast. Half of the women received additional radiation directed at the portion of the breast that had contained the tumor.

During a follow-up period of five years, women who received the additional radiation were 41 percent less likely to have cancer recur at the site of the original tumor.

Researchers report that the benefits of additional radiation depend on each woman's risk of recurrence. Women who were age 40 or younger benefited the most from extra radiation, showing a 54 percent drop in their risk of recurrence.

The higher dose of radiation did not appear to increase scar tissue from the lumpectomy site. However, the cosmetic results overall were considered somewhat less positive in the women who received the extra radiation, according to the researchers.

Researchers concluded that the "reduction in the incidence of local recurrences associated with the additional dose far outweighs the slight increase in the poorer cosmetic outcome, especially in patients younger than 50 years of age."

Investigators believe that 5 years is not a long enough follow-up period to evaluate the long-term effects of the extra dose of radiation, and plan to continue their follow-up of the women for at least 10 more years.

Other Sources: New England Journal of Medicine