Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation

Accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) is being rapidly introduced into the clinical management of early breast cancer. APBI, in fact, encompasses a number of different techniques and approaches that include brachytherapy, intraoperative, and external beam techniques. There is currently no single source that describes these techniques and their clinical implementation. This text is a concise handbook designed to assist the clinician in the implementation of APBI. This includes a review of the principles that underlie APBI, a practical and detailed description of each technique for APBI, a review of current clinical results of APBI, and a review of the incidence and management of treatment related complications. Table of contents APBI: History, Rationale, Controversis.- Who is a Candidate for APBI?- Pathological Anatomy of Early Breast Cancer.- The Radiobiology of APBI.-Surgical Considerations for APBI.- Physics of APBI.- Quality Assurance of APBI.- Overview of North American Clinical Trials.- Overview of European Clinical Trials.- Update of Ongoing Prospective Phase III Trials.- APBI Brachytherapy: VCU Technique.- APBI Brachytherapy: Beaumont Technique.- APBI Brachytherapy: University of Wisconsin/ Arizona Technique.- APBI Brachytherapy: Mammosite.- APBI Brachytherapy: Interstitial Seeds.- APBI 3D Conformal External Beam - The NSABP Technique.- APBI 3D Conformal External Beam - The NYU Technique.- APBI 3D Conformal External Beam - The MGH Technique.- APBI Intra-operative Technique with 50 KV Photons.- APBI Intra-operative Technique with Electrons.- The Memorial Technique for Intra-operative APBI.- Normal Tissue Toxicity of APBI.- New Technologies, Part I - New Brachytherapy Catheter Systems.- New Technologies, Part II - Novel Sources, Novel Delivery Systems.