Intraoperative radiotherapy with electrons (IOERT) in patients with breast cancer: review of the evidence and therapeutic approach at the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Colombia

Breast cancer is the neoplasia with the highest incidence and mortality in women in Colombia. Although the mainstay of treatment in the early stages is conservative surgery and the administration of adjuvant radiotherapy, new radiotherapy techniques and equipment have recently been developed that shorten treatment times and improve adherence and accessibility. Among them, intraoperative radiotherapy with electrons (IOERT) has proven to be of low risk and useful in patients with early Luminal A group breast cancer. Since the Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia (Bogota, Colombia) is the only institution in the country with a mobile electron linear accelerator that allows the administration of IOERT, the available evidence was reviewed to define selection criteria for administering this technique.