Researchers studied a faster form of radiation therapy called ultra-hypofractionated radiotherapy for patients with advanced breast cancer. This approach delivers a higher radiation dose in fewer treatment sessions. In the study, patients received 25 Gy of radiation in only five sessions to the breast and nearby lymph nodes. Most of the 45 patients in the study had advanced disease and had already received chemotherapy before radiation.
The treatment showed strong results in shrinking tumors. About 92.9% of patients who later had surgery experienced tumor downstaging, meaning the cancer became smaller or less aggressive. Around 46.6% of patients had a good clinical response, while only 15.5% showed disease progression. After the radiation therapy, 42% of patients were able to undergo surgery, including total mastectomy and lymph node removal.
Experts say the short treatment course can be very helpful for patients with large or difficult-to-operate tumors. However, higher doses in fewer sessions may increase the risk of tissue damage or scarring. Because of this, conventional radiation schedules with more sessions are still considered the safer standard in many cases. Still, the five-day radiation approach may offer an important option for shrinking advanced tumors and making surgery possible.