A new intense approach to radiotherapy for breast cancer in the UK has proved effective, according to an analysis published yesterday.
Since 2008 women in the UK have undergone 15 treatments rather than the global standard of 25 treatments.
This was achieved by increasing dose levels.
A study involving nearly 4,500 women has now confirmed the effectiveness of this approach, a conference heard yesterday.
The ten-year study has shown that both approaches ensure that just 6% of women suffer from a relapse in the affected breast.
The British approach is said to help patients by cutting the number of hospital trips they have to make – as well as saving on cost.
The findings were reported to the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in Texas, USA, yesterday.
Researcher Professor John Yarnold, of the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We have shown conclusively that less can be more in breast cancer radiotherapy. Three weeks of radiotherapy is as good as five weeks – as well as being more convenient and less tiring for patients and cheaper for the health service."
He added: "The risk of breast cancer recurring continues beyond five years, and side-effects of radiotherapy can often develop many years after treatment, so these long-term results provide a very important reassurance that the shorter treatment course is definitely the best option for patients.
"Some doctors may have been hesitant to change their practice on the basis of five-year results, but these long-term findings should convert those sceptics."
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