Nuclear Medicine & Radiation Therapy

Intraoperative Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer Not Associated with Pulmonary Complications

Abstract

David R. Kalos, Mark E. Lund, David P. Visco, Mark Lewis and Jeffrey B. Hoag

Radiation pneumonitis and radiation-induced cryptogenic organizing pneumonia are common complications after external beam radiation therapy following breast conserving surgery for patients with early stage breast cancer. Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) is designed to decrease radiation exposure to the lung, skin, soft tissue, and contralateral breast. A single-center, retrospective cohort of all patients receiving IORT between 2009 and 2013 was analyzed, and 122 cases of IORT were found. There were no instances of pulmonary complication in patients receiving IORT without whole breast irradiation. The only instance of radiation pneumonitis identified was in a patient who received subsequent external beam radiation after boost IORT. As there are no previous systemic evaluations of pulmonary complications of IORT, this study supports its reported safety.