SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The TARGIT Collaborative Group (TCG) is pleased to announce publication of the long-term results of the Targeted Intraoperative Radiotherapy Trial (TARGIT-A Trial) comparing partial breast single fraction targeted intraoperative radiotherapy (TARGIT-IORT) to 3-6 week post-operative whole breast radiotherapy, demonstrating equivalent long-term outcomes between the two treatments. The results of the trial were published on August 19, 2020 in the British Medical Journal (www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m2836).
The TARGIT-A Trial was a 2,298-patient multicenter, international, randomized controlled trial evaluating the use of TARGIT-IORT using the Intrabeam System (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.) as a method of delivering IORT. TARGIT-IORT is typically administered in less than 30 minutes at the time of lumpectomy. TARGIT-IORT is the only method of delivering IORT widely available in the U.S. for which effectiveness has been proven in a randomized control trial.
Dr. Valery Uhl, Radiation Oncologist and President of the TCG, stated: “We now have long-term proof that TARGIT-IORT is not only an effective—but in many ways superior—treatment for early-stage breast cancer. Every hospital where breast cancer surgery is performed should offer this form of radiation treatment to their breast cancer patients. Not only are long-term local control and cancer survival outcomes similar to whole breast radiotherapy, but mortality from other causes was lower in the IORT arm. TARGIT-IORT should be considered the new standard of treatment for early-stage breast cancer based on this large, multi-institutional, prospective, randomized controlled trial.”
The TARGIT-A trial is largely responsible for the widespread adoption of IORT as a treatment option for early-stage breast cancer in the U.S. IORT is now covered by Medicare and most health plans. According to Breast Surgeon, Dr. Dennis Holmes, a TCG Founder and TARGIT-A Trial publication co-author, “in addition to being efficacious, separate publications have shown TARGIT-IORT to be associated with fewer side effects, improved quality of life, and reduced healthcare cost compared to whole breast radiotherapy.”
Dr. Barry Rosen, Breast Surgeon and Secretary/Treasurer of TCG noted: “TARGIT-IORT is a safe, convenient, cost-effective alternative to WBRT that has virtually no side-effects and better cosmetic outcomes by virtue of its targeted therapy. I believe this establishes a new standard for patient-centered, precision oncology and should be offered to all breast cancer patients that meet eligibility requirements. Furthermore, the lower non-cancer mortality rates associated with IORT warrants further study.”
About TCG
The TARGIT Collaborative Group is a national organization of radiation oncologists, cancer surgeons, physicists, and other experts in intraoperative radiotherapy working collaboratively to improve cancer patient care through education, patient advocacy, mentorship, and collaborative research.
