A single dose of radiation during surgery is just as effective as a prolonged course of radiotherapy for breast cancer, a study suggests. Doctors have tested the technique, which involves a single shot of radiotherapy to a tumour site, in more than 2,000 patients.
It could save the UK £15m a year, the researchers said. Cancer Research UK said The Lancet study could have a "huge impact" for patients.
The researchers said using the one-stop procedure would be more convenient for patients and cut waiting lists. Treatment to surgically remove cancerous breast tissue is the starting point of treatment for thousands of women in Britain each year.
That is often followed up with weeks of radiotherapy to the whole breast to kill any remaining cancer cells. But with the new technique, doctors use a mobile radiotherapy machine that can be inserted into the breast to target the exact site of the cancer.
Led by a UK team, but carried out in nine countries, the four-year trial in women over 45 showed similar rates of disease recurrence regardless of the treatment used.
