OBJECTIVES:
Primary
* Study the feasibility and reproducibility of intraoperative radiotherapy as the only treatment after lumpectomy in older women with stage I breast cancer.
Secondary
* Study the impact of this regimen on maintaining self-care.
* Study the quality of life (QLQ-C30) and satisfaction with care.
* Study regimen tolerance and cosmetic results.
* Evaluate the economic impact of this treatment.
* Study relapse-free and disease-specific survival.
OUTLINE: Patients undergo conservative breast surgery and axillary node dissection (sentinel node or classic resection). At this point, patients must have either negative axillary lymph nodes after removal of ≥ 6 lymph nodes, negative sentinel nodes, or have had a limited lumpectomy with negative margins ≥ 2 mm. Patients undergo intraoperative radiotherapy during surgery, before closing and reconstruction of the breast.
Patients may begin hormonal therapy after completing study therapy.
After completion of study therapy, patients are followed every 3 months for 1 year, every 4 months for 1 year, and then every 6 months for 3 years.
