Preoperative stereotactic body radiotherapy for early-stage luminal breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis (PRELUMEN).
Radiother OncolAug 16, 2026 (epub)
Gustavo A Viani, Caio Viani Arruda, Ana Carolina Hamamura et al.
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated preoperative stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in 428 patients with early-stage luminal breast cancer. The study found a pooled pathological complete response (pCR) rate of 21.4%. The irradiation-to-surgery interval was identified as the only significant predictor of pCR.
Key findings
- Pooled pCR rate was 21.4% (95% CI: 12.1-35.1%).
- Irradiation-to-surgery interval was a significant predictor of pCR (β = +0.045 per week; p < 0.001).
- Pooled late grade ≥ 3 toxicity was 5.9% (95% CI: 3.7-9.1%).
- Excellent or good cosmesis was achieved in 88.3% of patients (95% CI: 79.4-93.6%).
Why it matters
The findings suggest that preoperative SBRT can effectively induce pathological complete responses in early luminal breast cancer while maintaining acceptable toxicity and cosmetic outcomes, highlighting its potential as a treatment strategy.