OXFORD, England, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- A meta-analysis of 10,000 women found radiation therapy after breast-conserving surgery reduced the rate of recurrence by half, British researchers say.
Study author Dr. Sarah C. Darby of the University of Oxford in England said investigators from the Early Breast Cancer Trialists' Collaborative Group found the use of radiation therapy decreased the risk of breast cancer recurrence within 10 years from 35 percent to 19.3 percent, MedPage Today reported.
The analysis included 17 trials that began before 2000, six of which evaluated the use of radiation therapy after lumpectomy -- tumor removal -- in 4,398 low- and high-risk women.
The analysis, published in The Lancet, found not only did radiation reduce the rate of 10-year cancer recurrences, it also decreased the 15-year mortality risk by 3.8 percent.
