Radiotherapy boost on breast cancer

BREAST cancer patients given radiotherapy after surgery for the illness are half as likely to suffer a recurrence within 10 years.

A study in The Lancet of nearly 11,000 women found death rates fell by a sixth over the next 15 years.

Prof Peter Johnson, chief clinician at Cancer Research UK, which co-funded the work, said: “This research confirms the lasting benefit of radiotherapy treatment after breast-conserving surgery for women with breast cancer.

“It appears to be equally effective across all breast cancers, with most women benefiting when the risk of recurrence is highest – younger women and those with high-grade tumours.”

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