Radiation Therapy's Value for Early-Stage Breast Cancer Demonstrated

Adding radiation therapy to breast conserving surgery reduces breast cancer recurrence and prevents development of additional breast tumors in older women with early-stage disease, according to a new study.

In the March 1, 2007, issue of Cancer, a retrospective review that followed more than 1,800 women over age 65 for 10 years who were treated with surgery for breast cancer found that those who did not receive radiation therapy were more liked to have disease recurrence or develop additional breast tumors regardless of age or comorbidity. These results held regardless of the patients' use of the hormone modulating drug tamoxifen. However, women who received tamoxifen for less than one year were at higher risk for recurrence or additional tumors than those who completed the recommended five-year course.

Based on the study findings, the authors "recommend that mastectomy or breast conserving surgery with radiation therapy, along with adequate duration of adjuvant hormonal therapy for hormone-responsive tumors, be considered standard therapy in women of all ages and comorbidities, excepting those with very limited life expectancies."

The research was led by Ann M. Geiger, M.P.H., Ph.D., of Wake Forest University School of Medicine and formerly of Kaiser Permanente Southern California.