Partial Breast Radiation Focus of New Cancer Study

According to the American Cancer Society, 40,000 breast cancer deaths are expected nationwide this year, with 1,400 here in New Jersey. It is those statistics investigators at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) hope to curb with research they’re conducting on whether partial breast radiation following a lumpectomy will hold a better benefit than radiation of the whole breast. CINJ is a center of excellence of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

In patients who are diagnosed with early stage breast cancer and have their cancerous lump and surrounding tissue removed from the breast, the standard of care is to deliver radiation to the whole breast to eliminate areas of cancer not removed through surgery. Following lumpectomy and radiation to the whole breast, study has shown that the majority of relapses occur close to the tumor bed.

This study aims to use a treatment known as Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation (APBI), in which patients receive radiation to only a portion of their breast, over a three-week period versus the traditional six or seven. Selected patients will enroll in this trial prior to having the lumpectomy. During the surgery, after the cancerous lump is removed, four to six gold markers will be implanted in the surgical area. These markers will aid in determining if the accuracy of radiation treatments may be improved using state-of-art technology such as image-guided techniques. It is after the surgery that patients will begin the shortened course of radiation.

Bruce G. Haffty, M.D., chair of radiation oncology at CINJ and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and Sharad Goyal, M.D., instructor of radiation oncology at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, are the lead investigators for the study. Dr. Haffty - who also is a professor and chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School - notes the findings could result in an improved quality of life for patients, “When radiation time is cut in half, there is a better opportunity to preserve healthy tissue surrounding the breast. And the use of the gold markers versus other conductors commonly used, will better aid technicians in directing the radiation to precisely where it needs to go; therefore, we would hopefully see fewer relapses.”

Women aged 45 or older with the diagnosis of early stage breast cancer (with tumors measuring three centimeters or less) are eligible to take part in the trial, although other criteria must be met. For more information on how to take part, individuals should call CINJ’s Office of Human Research Services at 732-235-8675.

Clinical trials, often called cancer research studies, test new treatments and new ways of using existing treatments for cancer. At CINJ, researchers use these studies to answer questions about how a treatment affects the human body and to make sure it is safe and effective. There are several types of clinical trials that are currently underway at CINJ, including those that diagnose, treat, prevent, and manage symptoms of cancer. Many treatments used today – whether it is drugs or vaccines; ways to do surgery or give radiation therapy; or combinations of treatments - are the results of past clinical trials.