Interoperative radiotherapy of seventy-two cases of early breast cancer patients during breast-conserving surgery.

Objective: To evaluate interoperative radiotherapy after breast conservative surgery in early breast cancer patients in terms of postoperative complications, cosmetic outcome and recurrence events.
Methods: From June 2007 to Dec 2011, 143 early breast cancer patients received breast conservative surgery. Seventy-two (study group) received interoperative radiotherapy, compared with 71 patients (control group) given routine radiotherapy. Postoperative complications were evaluated 1 month after surgery; cosmetic outcome was evaluated 1 year postoperatively; recurrence and death events were followed up.
Results: The average wound healing time was 13~22 d in the study group and 9~14 d in the control group. In the study group, 2 patients developed lyponecrosis, 16 patients showed wound edema while no such side effects were found in the control group. No infection or hematomas were found in either group. In the study group (59 cases), overall cosmetic outcome in 53 patients was graded as excellent or good, and in 6 as fair or poor. Meanwhile in the control group (56 cases), 42 patients were graded as excellent or good, and 14 as fair or poor (P=0.032). After a follow-up from 3 to 54 months (median: 32 months), two patients (2.78%) in study group developed local relapses, one of them (1.39%) died, 2 patients (2.78%) developed bone metastases. In control group, one patient (1.41%) developed local relapse, 2 patients (2.82%) developed bone metastases, and no one died.
Conclusion: Intraoperative radiotherapy is safe and reliable with good cosmetic outcome.