Dosimetric and radiobiological evaluation of Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation Techniques

Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation (APBI) decreases the duration of entire radiotherapy course (Sanders ME et al 2007). The reduced treatment volume makes APBI more appealing to both clinicians and patients. The uses of brachytherapy either as HDR or LDR interstitial implants have shown promising results which are obvious from the published research works (Arthur DW et al 2003; Baglan KL et al 2001). But the interstitial implant technique can be more complex and operator dependent. The implant application is usually done with image guidance (Ultra sound/mammography images) using a template which plays a major role in ensuring the uniform and accurate implants. Fewer oncologists prefer doing the free hand application without a template guidance which needs more expertise.