In the past, it was shown that the UZ Gent schedule of 5 sessions leads to fewer side effects during and immediately after radiotherapy and better quality of life up to 1 year after radiotherapy compared to the standard schedule in 15 fractions. In this project, the 2-year results of our randomized trial comparing 5 and 15 sessions will be analyzed and the UZ Gent schedule will be directly compared with the FAST-FORWARD schedule from the UK to see which schedule leads to the least side effects and the best quality of life. 

Breast cancer patients are often irradiated with consecutive short breath holds to reduce the heart dose. At UZ Gent, a simple technique was developed in which patients manage to hold their breath for 2.5 minutes through a combination of hyperventilation and oxygen administration. In this project, the technique will be further developed and implemented in practice over the next few years.