Impact of intraoperative radiotherapy on the perioperative period of patients after breast-conserving surgery

Background To investigate the effect of intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) in the perioperative period of patients after breast-conserving surgery (BCS). Methods The clinical data of 100 patients with early breast cancer undergoing breast-conserving surgery (BCS) followed by treatment with IORT using the Intrabeam system (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Oberkochen, Germany) (BCS + IORT group, n=100) between June 2016 and December 2019 were analyzed and compared with the data of 60 matched patients who only underwent breast-conserving therapy over the same period (BCS group, n=60). The surgical settings and postoperative acute complications between the groups were assessed. Results There was no significant statistical difference between the groups in terms of age, tumor size, grading, lymph node status, hormone receptor status, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) status (P>0.05). The BCS + IORT group had a significantly longer surgery duration (P 0.05). Conclusions IORT using the Intrabeam system safely delivers radiation therapy, is well-tolerated, has acceptable acute toxicity, and does not significant increase the risk of surgery or the incidence of perioperative complications.