TARGIT - IORT

Intrabeam TARGIT IORT is targeted intraoperative radiotherapy treatment for breast cancer. Conceived in the UK more than 20 years ago, thoroughly tested in clinical trials, TARGIT IORT treatment is widely used to treat breast cancer patients across the world.

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“The most important benefit of TARGIT for a woman with breast cancer is that it allows her to complete her entire local treatment [lumpectomy and radiation therapy] at the time of her operation, with lower toxicity.”  Lancet 2014;383:603-613

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Please visit the dedicated website for TARGIT-IORT

Special relevance of TARGIT-IORT during the COVID-19 pandemic

TARGIT-IORT is given as a single dose during the cancer operation - so in most patients no visits to the radiotherapy department are required. This is especially relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic. When the radiotherapy is completed during the cancer operation, under the same anaesthetic, it greatly reduces the need for repeated post-operative visits to the hospital for postoperative external beam whole radiotherapy which are necessary for regimens such as Fast Forward or IMPORT-Low

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This is why it has been included in several national and interantional guidelines for treatment of breast cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the widespread infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, new guidelines for treatment of beast cancer  and radiotherapy have recommend using TARGIT-IORT because it would save patients the daily travel (and viral exposure) to radiotherapy departments:

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Global radiation oncology's targeted preparedness for COVID-19  

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405630820300227 

“where the technology is available the use of IORT may obviate the need for any further outpatient treatment and should be considered an option ..” 

British Association of Cancer Surgery (BASO~ACS) https://baso.org.uk/media/98159/covid_19_and_breast_cancer_march_2020.pdf

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German University Hospitals 

https://ro-journal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13014-020-01527-1

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Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology

https://www.thegreenjournal.com/article/S0167-8140(20)30221-8/fulltext

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China is increasing its use of TARGIT-IORT #breastcancer by equipping more centres with the TARGIT-IORT equipment 

Click here to see the national and international guidelines recommending TARGIT-IORT for breast cancer

Information about Intrabeam TARGIT IORT

Click here for a printable information to help in a shared decision making about Intrabeam targeted intraoperative raiotherapy TARGIT IORT.

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Intrabeam TARGIT IORT for breast cancer is clinically effective - confirmed in the TARGIT-A international clinical trial

First publication of the main results (2010)

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Targeted intraoperative radiotherapy versus whole breast radiotherapy for breast cancer (TARGIT-A trial): an international, prospective, randomised, non-inferiority phase 3 trial. 

The Lancet.  2010 ;376(9735):91-102.

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5-year results and first analysis of survival (2014)

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Risk-adapted targeted intraoperative radiotherapy versus whole-breast radiotherapy for breast cancer: 5-year results for local control and overall survival from the TARGIT-A randomised trial. 

The Lancet. 11 November 2013. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(13)61950-9 

Full text PDF  Podcast

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Full 226 page report of the TARGIT-A trial of Intrabeam TARGIT IORT for HTA, NIHR, Department of Health, UK (2016)

An international randomised controlled trial to compare TARGeted Intraoperative radioTherapy (TARGIT) with conventional postoperative radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery for women with early-stage breast cancer (the TARGIT-A trial). 

Health Technology Assessment 2016;20(73)

Recent peer reviewed publications are below: more are available here

• Red Journal: Meta-analyis Improved survival with targeted radiotherapy

• (This was the most downloaded paper on breast cancer in the Red Journal's Most Downloaded in 2016 list)

• Lancet: Updated meta-analysis of targeted radiotherapy confirming the survival benefit

• Lancet: A meta-analysis of the GEC-ESTRO and the TARGIT-A: 5 year data

• BMJ Open: Environmental and Social benefits of Intrabeam TARGIT IORT

• Red Journal: Better breast-related quality of life with TARGIT IORT

• NIHR Journals: Cost-Utility analysis of TARGIT IORT -  Saving £9 million/yr in thUK

• BMJ Open: Health Economics of TARGIT-IORT: Less costly for NHS

• Breast Care: A tumour bed boost after neoadjuvant chemotherapy

• Lancet: Correspondence on the IMPORT-Low trial

• BMJ Evidence Based Medicine: commentary on the IMPORT-LOW trial

• PRO: Commentary and corrections to the 2017 ASTRO APBI consensus 

Surgical technique video of TARGIT IORT for breast cancer

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iPhone App for helping to choose TARGIT for appropriate breast cancer patients.   Android version

The TARGIT-A trial of intraoperative radiotherapy for breast cancer

A bibliography of TARGIT-IORT for breast cancer