Whole-Breast Versus Partial-Breast Radiation

There is not a major difference in outcomes between whole-breast and partial-breast radiation for some patients with breast cancer.

In a recent study comparing outcomes between breast cancer survivors who received whole-breast radiation to those who received partial-breast radiation, researchers found that there were not drastic differences between the two, explained Julia White, MD, head of breast radiation oncology at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center — Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute.

After a follow-up of about 10 years, 3.9% of patients who had whole-breast radiation had local recurrences, compared to 4.6% of patients who had partial-breast radiation. Additionally, White mentioned that there were lower recurrence rates for low-risk patients, so they may be even better candidates for partial-breast radiation.