Recent Data Show Benefits of Intraoperative Electron Radiation Treatment to Breast Cancer Patients

Data recently released from several long-term studies in Europe show that intraoperative electron-beam radiation therapy techniques provide significantly improved clinical outcomes and psychological benefits to breast cancer patients. Most experts agree that intraoperative electron radiation treatment (IOERT) is beneficial in the treatment of many locally advanced and recurrent cancers. These studies are the first to clearly demonstrate that IOERT will also have a major role in the treatment of breast cancer.

The landmark 5-year ELIOT study and others completed and recently issued from the hospital Ospedale Borgo Trento in Verona, Italy, and Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria point to the use of electron-beam, single-dose or “boost” treatments in producing substantially better patient outcomes in less time without the need for multiple radiation treatments and superior cosmetic results. The data refer to patient outcomes or recurrence rates of 1.5 percent for eligible single dose patients, and recurrence rates of less than 1 percent for IOERT boost patients, numbers significantly below the 5-7 percent recurrence associated with standard breast treatments. The term “single dose” refers to IOERT’s ability to eliminate the need for post-surgery radiation therapy.

“These important studies show that IOERT can deliver the best cancer treatment results for qualified patients in less time with less exposure to radiation and lower cost. Cancer patients now have an incredibly effective option for their treatment and my hope is that as they become more informed about such options they and their caregivers will consider the use of IOERT,” said Donald Goer, Ph.D., chief scientist at IntraOp Medical Corporation, which makes an IOERT device called Mobetron. “While more than 20,000 patients have been treated with IOERT therapy for breast cancer worldwide, with the information that’s now available, we hope more and more patients will be asking about and become candidates for this life-saving treatment.”

Using a mobile device that can be easily transported from one surgery room to another, allows radiation and surgical oncologists to visually see the exact area they need to radiate and immediately deliver high doses directly to the affected tissue when any residual tumor cells will be most vulnerable. Single dose breast IOERT is more convenient for the patient since all of the radiation that is needed to control the disease is given at the time of surgery. It also results in substantially lesser dose to the healthy tissue as there is complete sparing of radiation to the skin which should lead to better cosmetic results.

In addition to maximizing positive outcomes, using IOERT to deliver single-dose radiation therapy greatly reduces the overall treatment time for the patient, resulting in a faster recovery and return to daily life. It also simplifies any reconstructive surgery such as oncoplastic reconstruction at the time of the lumpectomy, making breast surgeries with IOERT a real alternative to a mastectomy for many patients. The National Community Cancer Network has recommended IOERT as the treatment of choice for locally advanced and recurrent rectal cancer. There is a long history of IOERT being used for locally advanced and recurrent cancers with excellent results in both local control and survival, especially in indications where it is often difficult to obtain clear surgical margins such as in advanced and recurrent colorectal, head and neck, and sarcomas.