title: Use of radiation treatment units in breast cancer. Changes in the last 15 years.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Advances in diagnosis and treatment in oncology combined with technical advances in radiotherapy have resulted in qualitative and quantitative changes in the use of radiation to treat breast cancer.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective was to analyse changes in radiation indications from 1990 to the present time and their consequences in the use of treatments units.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 1990 to December 2005, 4545 radiation treatments for breast cancer were performed, classified as radical after conservative surgery, radical after mastectomy or palliative. Data are presented as relative frequencies and as 3-year period groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An increase in the proportion of treatments for breast cancer and in treatment unit use distribution is observed. Radical treatments have increased over time, ranging from 55% in the first 3-year period group to 82% in the last one. Unit treatment distribution analysis is similar, but with a less important increase, rising from 85% to 95%. A rise in conservative treatment is also observed, from 43% to 75%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An increase in breast cancer incidence is observed and there was also an increase in irradiation after conservative treatment. On the contrary, probably due to the rise in the use of systemic treatments, a decrease in postmastectomy irradiation and palliative treatments is shown.
authors.affiliation: Institut d'Oncologia Radioteràpica, Hospital de l'Esperança, IMAS, Barcelona, Spain. malgara@imas.imim.es
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Algara López
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sanz Latiesas
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Foro Arnalot
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lacruz Bassols
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reig Castillejo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lozano Galán
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Membrive Conejo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Quera Jordana
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rodríguez de Dios
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010166:Palliative Care