Preliminary results with accelerated partial breast irradiation in high-risk breast cancer patients

The patients with positive axillary node(s) were at increased risk for failure elsewhere in the ipsilateral breast or axilla, and the patients with ER (−) tumors were at increased risk for relapse at any site. However, it is unclear whether the pN1 and ER (−) patients would have faired any better if they had received whole breast irradiation rather than APBI. We believe that the patients with positive axillary node(s) or ER (−) tumors should be treated on clinical trials to better define the role of APBI.