Women with early-stage breast cancer who receive intensity modulated radiation therapy have significantly fewer side effects than peers who receive traditional radiation therapy, according to an article in the August 1 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology * Biology * Physics.

Unlike standard radiation therapy, intensity modulated radiation therapy uses a radiation beam can be divided into many smaller beams, and the intensity of each small beam can be adjusted individually. This allows radiation oncologists to more precisely shape the beam of radiation to fit the individual contours of a women’s breast while avoiding exposure to adjacent organs. With the new technique, the radiation dose to the breast is more uniformly distributed, essentially minimizing hot spots of greater radiation dosage.

In the current study, investigators at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., evaluated 172 women with early-stage breast cancer. Patients were divided into two groups; the first group (54 percent) received intensity modulated therapy, while the second group (46 percent) received conventional wedged-based radiation (the control group).

Researchers specifically looked for changes in the breast directly associated with radiation therapy, including incidence of dermatitis, edema, and hyperpigmentation, as well as the correlation between side effects and type of radiation treatment.

Overall, women who received intensity modulated therapy reported significantly fewer breast-related side effects compared with control women. Of the women who received intensity modulated therapy, 41 percent had notable dermatitis compared with 85 percent of women receiving conventional radiation.

Only one percent of the test group had breast edema compared with 28 percent in the control group. Changes in skin color were experienced in five percent of test women compared with 50 percent of control women. Pain was equally attributed in both groups (eight percent).

“Earlier studies have demonstrated the benefits and importance of radiation therapy in the treatment of many women with breast cancer. It is exciting that we are now conducting studies with the goal of helping to make these treatments easier and more comfortable for women. This study, along with other recent data presented by our colleagues, demonstrates that improving dose homogeneity within the breast with intensity modulated radiation therapy results in significantly fewer side effects for women undergoing radiation therapy for early stage breast cancer,” said Asif Harsolia, MD, lead author on the study and a radiation oncologist with The Permanente Medical Group in Santa Clara, Calif. The study was conducted while Dr. Harsolia was a resident at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich.