The breast journal
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Are mammographic changes in the tumor bed more pronounced after intraoperative radiotherapy for breast cancer? Subgroup analysis from a randomized trial (TARGIT-A).
Intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) with low-energy x-rays is increasingly used in breast-conserving therapy (BCT). Previous non-randomized studies have observed mammographic changes in the tumor bed to be more pronounced after IORT. The purpose of this study was to reassess the postoperative changes in a randomized single-center subgroup of patients from a multicenter trial (TARGIT-A). ⋯ Scar calcifications were also significantly more frequent after IORT (63% versus 19%). The high incidence of large fat necroses in our study confirms previous study findings. However, the overall higher incidence of calcifications in the tumor bed after IORT represents a new finding, requiring further attention.