Research to change how breast cancer treated

Study shows better overall cosmetic results for women treated using intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). This is a landmark study, with major significance for women with breast cancer. It demonstrates the value to patients, and indeed society, of using modern radiotherapy technology. Professor Neil Burnet Research from the newly formed Cambridge Cancer Centre, a collaboration between the University of Cambridge, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cancer Research UK and others, could change how women with breast cancer are treated. The study, by researchers from Addenbrooke's Hospital and the University of Cambridge led by Dr Charlotte Coles, found that women who received treatment with Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) showed better overall cosmetic results compared to those given standard radiotherapy using only 2-dimensional (2D) planning. The study, which has been funded by the charity Breast Cancer Campaign and the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, was published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. For the study, the researchers analysed the radiotherapy treatment plans of 1145 patients with early breast cancer who had previously had breast-conserving surgery.