title: Did the adoption of accelerated partial-breast irradiation reduce the noncompliance with adjuvant radiation in lumpectomy patients?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The underutilization of radiation therapy after breast-conserving surgery in early-stage breast cancer patients has been attributed to the inconvenience and potential side effects of whole-breast radiation treatment regimens. Accelerated partial-breast irradiation (APBI) involves twice-daily treatments more than 4 to 5 days, which could potentially improve convenience and adherence for women undergoing treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied local therapies in about one-third of a million female breast cancer patients who were diagnosed between January 2000 and June 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that the use of APBI brachytherapy increased rapidly from .2% in 2000 to about 3.1% in 2008 and leveled off after 2009. The increased use of APBI did not reduce the percentage of early-stage breast cancer patients who improperly forego radiation (about 14% over the whole study period).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Noncompliance with adjuvant radiation is still common when shortened radiation therapy becomes increasingly accessible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Virginia, P.O. Box 800717 Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA. Electronic address: ayao@virginia.edu.
authors.forename: Nengliang
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Radiation Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Abram
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Recht
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000379:methods*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015412:Mastectomy, Segmental / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011379:Prognosis; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States
keywords: Brachytherapy; Noncompliance; Radiation