title: A comparison of three different radiotherapy boost techniques after breast conserving therapy for breast cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Compare different boost techniques after breast conserving therapy (BCT) in terms of local and loco-regional recurrences.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 2000 to 2005, patients treated with BCT for invasive breast cancer (BC) were included. An electron boost (EB) was performed for a superficial boost-volume (less than 29 mm under the epidermis), in all other cases a brachytherapy boost (BTB) was proposed. When patients refused a BTB or it was not possible for technical reasons, a photon boost (PB) was given. The primary endpoints were local and loco-regional recurrences. Secondary endpoints were metastasis-free and overall survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  1379 patients were eligible for analysis. Most patients (1052) received an EB, 225 a BTB and 76 a PB. At a median follow-up of 8.8 years, 35 (2.5%) patients developed a local or loco-regional recurrence. Ten years local relapse-free rate was 97.9%. No differences between boost techniques were observed in relapse risk, metastasis-free and overall survival after multivariate analyses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In women treated with BCT followed by a boost irradiation to the tumor bed, no difference in local and loco-regional recurrence, metastasis-free and overall survival was observed comparing three different boost techniques. Outcome was excellent regardless of the boost technique.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation-Oncology, University Hospitals of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address: karolien.verhoeven@uzleuven.be.
authors.forename: Karolien
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Verhoeven
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation-Oncology, University Hospitals of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kindts
authors.affiliation: L-Biostat, Catholic University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Annouschka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Laenen
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation-Oncology, University Hospitals of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Peeters
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation-Oncology, University Hospitals of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Hilde
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation-Oncology, University Hospitals of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Van Limbergen
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation-Oncology, University Hospitals of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Weltens
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000401:mortality; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004583:Electrons / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015412:Mastectomy, Segmental; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality; D017785:Photons / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Boost technique; Breast cancer; Breast conserving therapy; Radiotherapy