Breast Cancer Radiotherapy: A Possibility For Fewer Doses
Written by Anna Sophia McKenney
Breast cancer patients can receive radiotherapy in a lower overall dose, given in fewer, larger administrations, while maintaining similar tumor control and creating fewer adverse side effects than current therapy. These conclusions come from the United Kingdom’s Standardisation of Breast Radiotherapy Trials A and B (START A and B), and were released on March 19, 2008 in Lancet Oncology and The Lancet respectively.
The international standard radiotherapy schedule for early breast cancer administers 50 Grays (Gy) of radiation total, separated into 25 small fractions of 2.0 Gy over five weeks. Cancer specialists have long believed that, when delivered in fewer, larger fractions, a lower total dose could be as safe and effective as this standard.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106539.php
Copyright: Medical News Today Article Date: 07 May 2008
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