Carbon-ion radiation therapy (C-ion RT) has emerged as a potential treatment option for patients with early-stage breast cancer (BC) who are medically inoperable or who decline surgery. Although its efficacy has been established in several tumor types, evidence supporting its use in BC remains limited. To address this gap, a clinical trial evaluated the safety, efficacy, and cosmetic outcomes of C-ion RT in 12 patients aged 60 years or older with stage 1 BC . In the study, C-ion RT achieved a 100% complete response (CR) rate, with a median time to CR of 12 months. At five years, local control and disease-free survival rates were 92%, while overall survival was 100%.
One patient experienced an in-field local recurrence. Treatment-related toxicity was mild. Grade 1 dermatitis, rib fractures, mastitis-related pain, and subclinical pectoral muscle inflammation were observed. Cosmetic…
