If lower radiation doses are indeed proven to have the same treatment benefits as higher doses, the new technique could also make the treatments more convenient for women. Currently, women who have breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy) must receive radiation treatments five days a week for about five or six weeks. "This is very disruptive to your life, as I'm sure you can imagine," explained Julie Gralow, MD, a medical oncologist at the University of Washington. "If we could achieve the same outcome with less frequent visits to the radiation center, either by giving the doses every other day or by giving them over three weeks, this would be a tremendous benefit for our patients."

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