Medical & Clinical Research

Author(s): Gabrovski I, Sedloev T, Usheva S, Kovacheva S, Radeva G, Radev R, Vasileva V, Marinova L*

Breast cancer (BC) is a socially significant illness. Radiotherapy (RT) is an important part of the complex treatment of early BC after a breast preserving surgery (BPS). Partial breast irradiation (PBI) has been established as a suitable treatment option for appropriately selected women with early stage BC by numerous clinical trials dating back to the 1990s. Risk¬ adapted single¬ dose targeted intraoperative radiotherapy during lumpectomy (TARGIT ¬IORT) is a method of PBI for early BC. In this literary review, we will present the therapeutic capabilities of intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) for early BC, the necessary patients’ selection, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of this combined with surgery radiotherapeutic approach. IORT has potential efficacy advantages related to overall survival related to reduced cardiopulmonary radiation doses, as well as prior to oncoplastic reconstruction to improve accuracy of adjuvant radiation delivery, or when used as a boost in higher risk patients to improve tumor control.

The expected contributions from this research project are: 1) For the first time in Bulgaria to use IORT in the treatment of early breast cancer.;2) Local control and early toxicity for patients receiving IORT in comparison with whole breast irradiation with or without boost.