Alternative way to treat early-stage breast cancer with radiation

Breast-cancer specialists are sharply divided over a new radiation technique that costs less and is more convenient than conventional therapy. The technique, known as intraoperative radiation therapy, or IORT, involves administering a single dose of radiation at the same time a patient is having lumpectomy surgery to remove a tumor. A large, randomized controlled trial concluded that IORT has fewer side effects and appears to prevent the return of cancer nearly as well as traditional treatment. But some critics point out that the study found women who had IORT face twice the risk of a cancer recurrence compared with traditional radiation (3.3% versus 1.3% over five years). [Subscription Required]