04 May Promising Study of Shorter Course of Radiation Therapy After Mastectomy
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Haffty
Bruce G. Haffty, MD
Professor and Chair, Department of Radiation Oncology
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and
Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Shorter courses of radiation for patients treated by lumpectomy are now commonly employed. For patients receiving radiation to the chest wall and lymph nodes after mastectomy, the standard 5 to 6 week course is used and shorter courses have not been adopted.
We initiated this trial of a shorter course of radiation to the chest wall and lymph nodes after mastectomy to test its feasibility, safety and outcome.
MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?
Response: This Phase 2 trial demonstrates the safety and effectiveness of this approach. However, the shorter course should ideally be compared in a randomized trial to the standard 5 to 6 week approach.
MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
Response: We have already designed and will be launching a national Cooperative Group trial through the ALLIANCE group to compare a shorter course of treatment to the longer course following mastectomy in a Phase III randomized setting.
MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Response: We have no disclosures. We appreciate the resources of our NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, the cooperation of our co-investigators at Huntsman Cancer Center in Utah and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation for their support.
MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.
Citation:
Atif J. Khan, Matthew M. Poppe, Sharad Goyal, Kristine E. Kokeny, Thomas Kearney, Laurie Kirstein, Deborah Toppmeyer, Dirk F. Moore, Chunxia Chen, David K. Gaffney, Bruce G. Haffty. Hypofractionated Postmastectomy Radiation Therapy Is Safe and Effective: First Results From a Prospective Phase II Trial. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2017; JCO.2016.70.715 DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2016.70.7158
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Last Updated on May 4, 2017 by Marie Benz MD FAAD