Purpose: This consensus statement from the Breast Cancer Working Group of the German Society for Radiation Oncology (DEGRO) aims to define practical guidelines for accelerated partial-breast irradiation (APBI).
Methods: Recent recommendations for relevant aspects of APBI were summarized and a panel of experts reviewed all the relevant literature. Panel members of the DEGRO experts participated in a series of conferences, supplemented their clinical experience, performed a literature review, and formulated recommendations for implementing APBI in clinical routine, focusing on patient selection, target definition, and treatment technique.
Results: Appropriate patient selection, target definition for different APBI techniques, and basic rules for appropriate APBI techniques for clinical routine outside of clinical trials are described. Detailed recommendations for APBI in daily practice, including dose constraints, are given.
Conclusion: Guidelines are mandatory to assure optimal results of APBI using different techniques.
Keywords: APBI; Breast cancer; Early breast cancer; Guideline; Partial breast irradiation.