title: Early-stage breast cancer conservative treatment: high-dose-rate brachytherapy boost in a single fraction of 700 cGy to the tumour bed.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Conservative treatment represents the current therapy for early-stage breast cancer. When risk factors for local relapse exist, a tumour bed boost is required. Retrospectively, we evaluated the prognostic factors influencing local recurrence (LR), overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS).
  
  
  METHODS
  After conservative treatment, 210 patients received a single-dose HDR brachytherapy (HDRBT) boost between June 1996 and December 2005. Mean age was 57 years; 75% had invasive ductal carcinoma. The most frequent surgery was lumpectomy (55.7%); 39.4% were G3, 18.6% intraductal component >25% and only 22% had negative margins.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With a mean follow-up of 85 months, at 5 and 10 years the OS was 93% and 88%, DFS 92% and 89%, and LR 3.6% and 5.3%, respectively. For LR, the risk factors were carcinoma in situ, N+ and involved margins, whereas for metastasis, the risk factors were T2 tumours, stage III, N+ and the presence of local recurrence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HDR-BT boost in one fraction is an effective, simple and safe method for reducing LR. The outpatient setting and shorter treatment duration represent undeniable advantages.
authors.affiliation: Radiation Oncology Department, Hospital Central de la Defensa Gómez-Ulla, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Aurora
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodríguez Pérez
authors.forename: Pilar María
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Samper Ots
authors.forename: María Concepción
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: López Carrizosa
authors.forename: José Fermín
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Pérez-Regadera Gómez
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zapatero Ortuño
authors.forename: Juan de Dios
authors.initials: Jde D
authors.lastname: Sáez Garrido
authors.forename: Manuel Joaquín
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Martín de Miguel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001918:Brachytherapy; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies