Radiation Oncology Services
Lifespan Cancer Institute

Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation

Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation (APBI) is an alternative procedure to whole breast irradiation. David Wazer, MD is a recognized international authority on APBI, which involves the treatment of only a limited volume of tissue surrounding the lumpectomy cavity, the area of the breast that most often experiences cancer recurrence. 

Because APBI focuses only on the part of the breast where the tumor was removed, it results in less radiation to the lung, heart, ribs, muscles and skin. The treated volume is relatively small and, accordingly, the dose per fraction delivered can be increased significantly, which decreases the overall treatment time to one week.