Radiotherapy in non-metastatic breast cancer: key trends from 2008 to 2019

Research on changes in radiotherapy

The study focused on improvements in the use of radiotherapy for the treatment of breast cancer without metastases. Increased use of radiation and increased use of regional radiotherapy instead of axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) in patients with positive (N+) lymph node disease was also investigated.

Why is this important?

Treatment options for breast cancer have improved significantly in recent decades. Personalized care, where treatment is tailored to the specific characteristics of the patient, is increasingly important here. The aim of this research is to give clinicians an insight into national changes and variations in the use of radiotherapy in the treatment of breast cancer and therefore to support clinicians in choosing treatment for breast cancer.

How was the research conducted?

The study analyzed data from 176,292 women diagnosed with invasive non-metastatic breast cancer from 2008 through 2019. The treatment trends and factors influencing the trends were analyzed in detail. that uses multilevel logistic regression.

Main results: specific trends in radiotherapy

• The use of radiotherapy increased from 61% in 2008 to 70% in 2016, mainly due to a shift from mastectomy to breast conserving therapy.
• In 2016-2019, radiotherapy after breast conserving surgery was omitted more often, especially in older patients.
• The use of increased radiation in breast conserving therapy has decreased significantly (66% in 2011 to 37% in 2019).
• Regional radiotherapy was increasingly used instead of axillary lymph node dissection for N+ disease.
• The researchers found regional variations in the use of radiation enhancement and regional radiotherapy, which may reflect differences in local treatment protocols.

What do these results mean for practice?

These findings show that breast cancer treatment is becoming more and more appropriate. The rise of regional radiotherapy as an alternative to ALND provides a less invasive treatment option for patients with positive lymph nodes. This contributes to a possible reduction in side effects and improvement in the quality of life of patients. The reduction in the use of increased radiation in low-risk patients also reinforces the move to less intensive treatments where possible.

Do you want to know more?

For more information about this research, or to read the full report, visit the website Clinical Oncology (Open access in October 2024). Or contact the IKNL library for more information [email protected].