Cardiac Sparing Breast Radiation Techniques

  • Multiple techniques have been used to aid in cardiac sparing, including:
    • Assisted breathing control
    • Accelerated partial breast irradiation
    • Intensity-modulated radiation therapy
    • Prone positioning
  • A study from Mulliez et al:
    • Found that prone technique in conjunction with respiratory gating:
      • Was associated with a reduction in mean heart dose, as well as dose to the left anterior descending coronary artery
  • At this time, there are limited data regarding long-term cardiac outcomes (e.g., myocardial infarctions) with any cardiac-sparing technique:
    • Due to the length of follow-up required
  • Outcomes with prone breast irradiation have demonstrated:
    • Low rates of local recurrence
    • Excellent cosmetic outcomes
    • No suggestion of higher rates of skin toxicity
    • Lower doses to the lungs and heart
    • No suggestion of higher rates of pneumonitis
  • References
    • Mulliez T, Speleers B, Mahjoubi K, et al. Prone left-sided whole-breast irradiation: significant heart dose reduction using end-inspiratory versus end-expiratory gating. Cancer Radiother. 2014;18(7):672-677.
    • Mulliez T, Veldeman L, Speleers B, et al. Heart dose reduction by prone deep inspiration breath hold in left-sided breast irradiation. Radiother Oncol.2015;114(1):79-84.
    • Osa EO, DeWyngaert K, Roses D, et al. Prone breast intensity modulated radiation therapy: 5-year results. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2014;89(4):899-906.
    • Shah C, Badiyan S, Berry S, et al. Cardiac dose sparing and avoidance techniques in breast cancer radiotherapy. Radiother Oncol. 2014;112(1):9-16.
    • Taylor, CW, Wang Z, Macaulay E, et al. Exposure of the heart in breast cancer radiation therapy: a systematic review of heart doses published during 2003 to 2013. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2015; 93(4):845-853.

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