Environmental and social benefits of the targeted intraoperative radiotherapy for breast cancer

Objective: To quantify the journeys and CO emissions if women with breast cancer are treated with risk-adapted single-dose targeted intraoperative radiotherapy (TARGIT) rather than several weeks' course of external beam whole breast radiotherapy (EBRT) treatment. Setting: (1) TARGIT-A randomised clinical trial ( 2 External 0 0 0 ISRCTN34086741 false http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN34086741 true false%>) which compared TARGIT with traditional EBRT and found similar breast cancer control, particularly when TARGIT was given simultaneously with lumpectomy, (2) 2 additional UK centres offering TARGIT. Participants: 485 UK patients (249 TARGIT, 236 EBRT) in the prepathology stratum of TARGIT-A trial (where randomisation occurred before lumpectomy and TARGIT was delivered simultaneously with lumpectomy) for whom geographical data were available and 22 patients treated with TARGIT after completion of the TARGIT-A trial in 2 additional UK breast centres. Outcome measures: The shortest total journey distance, time and CO emissions from home to hospital to receive all the fractions of radiotherapy. Methods: Distances, time and CO emissions were calculated using Google Maps and assuming a fuel efficiency of 40 mpg. The groups were compared using the Student t test with unequal variance and the non-parametric Wilcoxon rank-sum (Mann-Whitney) test. Results: TARGIT patients travelled significantly fewer miles: TARGIT 21 681, mean 87.1 (SE 19.1) versus EBRT 92 591...
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news