PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:~I. To demonstrate that the incidence of grade 3 or more wound complications in patients with non-metastatic node negative breast cancer who are eligible for breast conserving surgery (BCS) and treated with pre-operative radiation boost at 1 month after end of whole breast radiation is no worse than the rates in the current standard of care (6-20%).~SECONDARY OBJECTIVE:~I. To demonstrate that the physician reported cosmetic outcome at 1 and 3 years after the end of treatment is better than what has been reported for the current standard of practice for patients undergoing BCS and hypofractionated whole breast irradiation (WBI).~TERTIARY/EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVES:~I. To measure the acute and late radiation related toxicities such as radiation dermatitis, telangiectasia and fibrosis in this cohort of patients.~II. To measure the pre-operative boost clinical target volume (CTV) and compare to the post-op CTV volume that would have been contoured as CTV if the boost was to be delivered post-operatively.~III. To measure the incidence of fair/poor patient reported cosmetic outcome using the Breast Cancer Treatment Outcomes Scale (BCTOS) cosmetic scale.~IV. To study the cancer biology before and after radiation treatment.~OUTLINE:~Prior to surgery, patients undergo radiation therapy boost over 4 fractions. Patients then undergo standard of care surgery 1-3 weeks from the last day of boost. 3 to 5 weeks after surgery, patients continue standard of care WBI in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.~After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months
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.