Breast Cancer Radiation Wait-Times Up to 12 Weeks: No Evidence of Impact on Local Recurrence

May 05, 2004

OTTAWA — A study published today by the Canadian Coordinating Office for Health Technology Assessment (CCOHTA) found no relationship between the risk of local recurrence of breast cancer and wait times up to 12 weeks after breast conserving surgery.

The report focuses on local recurrence of breast cancer in women with Stage I and Stage II breast cancer who have undergone breast conserving surgery but not chemotherapy.

“Based on the evidence, the risk of local recurrence of breast cancer is low after radiation therapy started up to 12 weeks after breast conserving surgery,” said report co-author Dr. Lawrence Paszat.

“We found no difference between the rate of local recurrence of breast cancer among women who started radiation therapy less than eight weeks after breast conserving surgery and those who started radiation therapy up to 12 weeks after surgery. The number of patients who waited longer than 12 weeks was too low to evaluate the risk for this group.”

The Steering Committee on the Care and Treatment of Breast Cancer recommends that radiation therapy should start “as soon as possible and no later than 12 weeks after surgery.”

CCOHTA’s assessment was based on a systematic literature review which identified six retrospective, observational studies conducted between 1985 and 2000.

The full report is available at
http://www.ccohta.ca/publications/pdf/155_breastcancerwl_tr_e.pdf

The Canadian Coordinating Office for Health Technology Assessment is an independent not-for-profit organization that provides timely and reliable information about health technologies. CCOHTA delivers a health technology assessment program, the Common Drug Review, and the Canadian Optimal Medication Prescribing and Utilization Service. CCOHTA is funded by the Canadian federal, provincial and territorial governments.

Media contact: Kirk Fergusson, Communications Director (613) 226-2553 ext. 276