Hypofractionated Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage 0-IIB Breast Cancer

Adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) plays an important role in successful breast conservation in early-stage breast cancer and has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence over surgery alone. Adding breast radiation to lumpectomy has allowed women to keep their natural breast, as multiple randomized trials have demonstrated equivalent overall and disease-free survival compared to a mastectomy. Meta-analyses have concluded that post-lumpectomy radiation improves breast cancer survival, with an estimated 1 life saved for every 4 recurrences prevented. An important component of radiation therapy is the time-dose-fractionation schedule. Up until the last decade, the standard radiation schedule in North America involved 6-8 weeks of daily radiation. This study proposes that fractionation will provide a significant improvement in convenience and cost effectiveness, while delivering equivalent cancer control. This will be a phase II single arm non-inferiority trial. Trial patients will receive 9 fractions hypofractionated radiation. Patients will be evaluated for breast photographic cosmetic scores with hypofractionated radiation compared to standard fractionation 24 months after radiation.