July 29, 2022
We are writing to express our views on the AHRQ Draft Comparative Effectiveness Review comparing Partial Breast Irradiation (PBI) to Whole Breast Irradiation (WBI) as a treatment for early-stage breast cancer.
The National Center for Health Research (NCHR) is a nonprofit think tank that conducts, analyzes, and scrutinizes research on a range of health issues, with a particular focus on which prevention strategies and treatments are most effective for which patients and consumers. We do not accept funding from companies that make products that are the subject of our work, so we have no conflicts of interest.
We agree with the AHRQ review that clinical trials provide sufficient evidence that PBI is a valuable treatment option for select patients with early-stage breast cancer. Patient outcomes for several types of PBI did not differ significantly from WBI patients in terms of ipsilateral breast recurrence (IBR), overall survival, and cancer-free survival at 5 and 10 years. However, IORT PBI patients did have higher levels of recurrence (IBR) than WBI patients, despite no difference in overall survival or cancer-free survival. Overall, PBI patients have fewer acute adverse effects, lower transportation costs and days away from work, and fewer financial strains, making it a more convenient therapy option compared to WBI. However, there are numerous types of PBI, and the data are not adequate on the effectiveness of each one of them compared to WBI. In addition, we agree with the AHRQ review that there is currently insufficient data to draw conclusions about the risks and benefits of different types of PBI compared to each other or to WBI for women who are diverse in terms of patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics. Outcomes at 15 and 20 years are also important to evaluate. For these reasons, more research is necessary to provide the most useful information to patients considering breast irradiation.