• Rebekka Schäfer, Vratislav Strnad, Csaba Polgár, Wolfgang Uter, Guido Hildebrandt, Oliver J Ott, Daniela Kauer-Dorner, Hellen Knauerhase, Tibor Major, Jaroslaw Lyczek, Jose Luis Guinot, Jürgen Dunst, Cristina Gutierrez Miguelez, Pavel Slampa, Michael Allgäuer, Kristina Lössl, György Kovács, Arnt-René Fischedick, Rainer Fietkau, Alexandra Resch, Anna Kulik, Leo Arribas, Peter Niehoff, Ferran Guedea, Annika Schlamann, Christine Gall, Bülent Polat, and Groupe Européen de Curiethérapie of European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (GEC-ESTRO).
• Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany. Electronic address: schaefer_r2@ukw.de.
• Lancet Oncol. 2018 Jun 1; 19 (6): 834-844.

BackgroundPrevious results from the GEC-ESTRO trial showed that accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) using multicatheter brachytherapy in the treatment of early breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery was non-inferior to whole-breast irradiation in terms of local control and overall survival. Here, we present 5-year results of patient-reported quality of life.MethodsWe did this randomised controlled phase 3 trial at 16 hospitals and medical centres in seven European countries. Patients aged 40 years or older with 0-IIA breast cancer were randomly assigned (1:1) after breast-conserving surgery (resection margins ≥2 mm) to receive either whole-breast irradiation of 50 Gy with a boost of 10 Gy or APBI using multicatheter brachytherapy. Randomisation was stratified by study centre, tumour type, and menopausal status, with a block size of ten and an automated dynamic algorithm. There was no masking of patients or investigators. The primary endpoint of the trial was ipsilateral local recurrence. Here, we present 5-year results of quality of life (a prespecified secondary endpoint). Quality-of-life questionnaires (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30, breast cancer module QLQ-BR23) were completed before radiotherapy (baseline 1), immediately after radiotherapy (baseline 2), and during follow-up. We analysed the data according to treatment received (as-treated population). Recruitment was completed in 2009, and long-term follow-up is continuing. The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00402519.FindingsBetween April 20, 2004, and July 30, 2009, 633 patients had accelerated partial breast irradiation and 551 patients had whole-breast irradiation. Quality-of-life questionnaires at baseline 1 were available for 334 (53%) of 663 patients in the APBI group and 314 (57%) of 551 patients in the whole-breast irradiation group; the response rate was similar during follow-up. Global health status (range 0-100) was stable in both groups: at baseline 1, APBI group mean score 65·5 (SD 20·6) versus whole-breast irradiation group 64·6 (19·6), p=0·37; at 5 years, APBI group 66·2 (22·2) versus whole-breast irradiation group 66·0 (21·8), p=0·94. The only moderate, significant difference (difference of 10-20 points) between the groups was found in the breast symptoms scale. Breast symptom scores were significantly higher (ie, worse) after whole-breast irradiation than after APBI at baseline 2 (difference of means 13·6, 95% CI 9·7-17·5; p<0·0001) and at 3-month follow-up (difference of means 12·7, 95% CI 9·8-15·6; p<0·0001).InterpretationAPBI with multicatheter brachytherapy was not associated with worse quality of life compared with whole-breast irradiation. This finding supports APBI as an alternative treatment option after breast-conserving surgery for patients with early breast cancer.FundingGerman Cancer Aid.Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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