Clara Maass Medical Center

Pre-Surgery Radiation Boost

for Breast Cancer

This phase II trial investigates the safety of delivering a part (boost) of radiation treatment before breast surgery in treating patients with breast cancer that has not spread to other places in the body (non-metastatic). Radiation therapy uses high energy photons/electrons to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Delivering a boost radiation treatment before surgery when doctors can still visualize the tumor on imaging may help to better target the tumor and decrease the volume of normal irradiated tissue. By so doing, doctors may achieve better cosmetic outcomes and possibly better tumor control.