SHTAC is assessing the INTRABEAM® Photon Radiosurgery System for the adjuvant treatment of early breast cancer

SHTAC is preparing a systematic review and economic evaluation for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to inform their Multiple Technology Appraisal of the INTRABEAM® Photon Radiosurgery System for the adjuvant treatment of early breast cancer during surgical removal of the tumour.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in England and Wales. The majority of women are diagnosed with early stage disease where the cancer cells are either completely contained within the milk ducts or have not spread beyond the breast or the lymph glands around the affected breast.  Surgery is usually the first treatment option and this may be either a wide local excision of the tumour (‘WLE' or ‘lumpectomy') or if that is not possible a mastectomy.  After surgery additional treatment (e.g. radiotherapy, hormone therapy or chemotherapy) may be indicated.  NICE recommends whole breast radiotherapy which generally involves daily treatment for 3-5 weeks.  Recently, a new type of radiotherapy treatment has become available, known as the INTRABEAM® Photon Radiosurgery System. This mobile device can be used at the time of surgery to deliver high dose, low energy radiation to the breast tissue after the tumour has been removed and offers an alternative to weeks of conventional whole breast radiotherapy. NICE is expected to issue guidance on the INTRABEAM® Photon Radiosurgery System to the health service in England and Wales in January 2015.

For more information on SHTAC's research on breast cancer please visit our Research page.