Received grant in 2025
DCCC has funded 200,000 DKK to this initiative.
Most women with early breast cancer are treated with breast conserving surgery followed by radiotherapy (RT) to reduce the risk of local recurrence. Historically, whole breast irradiation (WBI) has been used, but this treatment can cause side effects such as radiation dermatitis and skin irritation, breast pain, oedema, and changes in the cosmetic appearance of the breast. This can negatively affect the cosmesis and quality of life.
Over the last decades there have been major advances in RT technology techniques, enabling the safe delivery of larger daily doses of RT. Evidence suggests that increased treatment intensity (more dose per fraction) to a reduced volume does not increase the risk of side effect or local recurrence in patients with low-risk breast cancer.
Thus, partial breast irradiation (PBI) has emerged as an safe and effective alternative to WBI in selected patients with low-risk early-stage breast cancer.
In Denmark, moderate hypofractionated RT is the standard for PBI in patients with early breast cancer and is delivered in 15 fractions with a lower dose per fraction, whereas ultrahypofractionated RT is delivered in 5 fractions with a higher dose per fraction. Both approaches appear effective, but they have not been directly compared in this patient group.
The study aims to determine whether ultrahypofractionated PBI provides safety and effectiveness comparable to the current standard treatment. The study will be conducted as a randomized phase III trial.
The grant from DCCC will support the technical preparations, including dose planning and calculations, development of a quality assurance protocol and establishing a randomization module and eCRF in the DBCG database.
The results are expected to determine whether ultrahypofractionated PBI can replace the current standard treatment, offering a shorter and milder treatment option for patients with early-stage breast cancer.
Multidisciplinary organisation
The study is anchored in the Danish Breast Cancer Group.
Project stakeholders
- Maja Vestmø Maraldo, Consultant, PhD, Næstved Hospital. Primary contact, mail: maja.vestmoe.maraldo@regionh.dk
- Birgitte Offersen, Professor, Consultant, PhD, Aarhus University Hospital
- Esben Yates, Physicist, Aarhus University Hospital
- Kristian Boye, Physicist, Rigshospitalet
- Else Maae, Overlæge, Vejle Hospital
- Martin Berg, Physicist, Vejle Hospital
- Louise Wichmann Matthiessen, Consultant, PhD, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital
- Karen Andersen, Physicist, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital
- Marie Mogensen, Specialty Registrar, Rigshospitalet
- Kirsten Legaard Jakobsen, Physicist, Næstved Hospital
- Mette H. Nielsen, Consultant, PhD, Odense University Hospital
- Ebbe Lorenzen, Physicist, PhD, Odense University Hospital
- Marie Louise Holm Milo, Specialty Registrar, Aalborg University Hospital
- Ingelise Jensen, Physicist, Aalborg University Hospital