Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation in the treatment of breast cancer — current status and treatment methods

Abstract

Breast conserving surgery (BCS) with following radiotherapy (EBRT) of the conserved breast became widely accepted
in the last decades for the treatment of early invasive breast cancer. The standard technique of EBRT after BCS is to
treat the whole breast up to a total dose of 45 Gy to 50 Gy. Additional dose is given to the treated volume after EBRT
to boost a portion of the breast to a higher dose. However, over the past 10 years, the application of radiotherapy in
breast cancer has changed. In early stage breast cancer, research has shown that the area requiring radiation treatment
to prevent the cancer from local recurrence is the breast tissue that surrounds the area where the initial cancer
was removed. Because this typically includes only a part of the breast, APBI is now used to treat the targeted portion
of the breast and as a result allows accelerated delivery of the radiation dose in four to fi ve days. Published results
of APBI techniques are very promising. In this article the current status, indications, technical aspects and recently
published results of APBI in breast cancer treatment are presented.