January
2003
Volume 27 •
No. 1
School of Medicine launches new institute to study stem cell, cancer biology
Stanford, Packard hospitals and SEIU agree on new contract
Clinical trial studies vastly shorter radiation time for breast cancer treatment
For 3 decades, radiation oncologist has played leading role in field's evolution
Access to Stanford physicians fast-tracked with IMPACT
New procedure aims to boost proper use of observation status
Community physicians respond to changes in appointment, promotion criteria
Clinical
trial studies vastly shorter radiation time for breast cancer treatment
A new trial at the medical center could shorten the overall treatment time for women with breast cancer. Participants will receive a single dose of radiation at the time of surgery rather than the usual six-week course of radiation therapy. The study is now recruiting patients.
"The trial should tell us whether this accelerated form of radiotherapy is safe, feasible and effective in controlling cancer recurrence in the breast for certain women who have a lumpectomy," said Frederick Dirbas, assistant professor of surgical oncology and leader of the new trial.
Women with a breast tumor often have a lumpectomy. The woman then receives a dose of radiation to the entire breast each weekday for about the next six weeks to minimize the chances of the cancer returning.
"The fact that current radiation treatments occur every day for several weeks makes it an issue for women," Dirbas said, adding that the schedule can be inconvenient for women who work, have children to care for or live far from where they get treatment. He said the idea behind this prolonged schedule had been that by breaking the total radiation dose into smaller increments, the women would have fewer side effects.
In recent years, however, doctors in the United States and Europe have begun looking at approaches to shorten the overall treatment time while still fending off the cancer. In one trial in Italy with more than 100 participants, patients received a single large dose of radiation at the same time as the surgery. Two years after the initial surgery, the treatment appears to be safe and effective.
Based on this success, Dirbas and Donald Goffinet, professor of radiation oncology, are replicating the Italian trial - the first U.S. trial of this technique. They hope to recruit 50 women who are older than 40, have a single breast tumor that's smaller than 2.5 centimeters and have a low likelihood of tumors elsewhere in the breast.
For information about participating in the trial, call Triona Dolphin or Janelle Maxwell at (650) 498-7740.
