Multinational phase 3 study of APBI using brachytherapy versus WBI with boost after breast-conserving surgery for early breast cancer

A randomized phase 3 trial at 16 centers in 7 European countries compared accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) using sole interstitial multicatheter brachytherapy versus whole-breast irradiation (WBI) with boost after breast-conserving surgery for early-stage breast cancer. At ten years, there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of ipsilateral local recurrence (p=0.074) or grade 1 or 2 adverse events. The incidence of late grade 3 treatment-related adverse events was lower in the APBI group than in the WBI group (1% versus 4%; p=0.021). The authors conclude that multicatheter brachytherapy after BCS for EBC is a valuable alternative to WBI in terms of treatment efficacy and is associated with fewer late grade 3 side-effects.