Five-day external beam radiation (five-day EBR) delivers a higher dose of radiation twice a day for five days following lumpectomy surgery. This offers a significant time savings compared to the standard whole breast irradiation protocol which requires five to seven weeks of daily lower dose radiation therapy.

Reducing the amount of time required to receive radiation therapy following a lumpectomy can make this breast-sparing procedure more accessible, and can also allow you to receive chemotherapy sooner after surgery if it is part of your treatment plan.

Appropriate patient selection and expert surgical technique are both critical to the success of five-day EBR because clean margins must be present after the tumor is removed before it is advisable to limit radiation treatment to just the tumor site.

By offering five-day EBR in the setting of a clinical trial approved by the Stanford Institutional Review Board (IRB) you can be assured that if you are deemed an appropriate candidate for five-day EBR, every care has been taken to maximize your likelihood of success.