A BREATHING technique could save more lives from breast cancer, according to a study in Southampton.

Private healthcare organisation Cancer Partners UK says a simple exercise can help take the fight to cancer, particularly if it is located in the left breast.

Called a deep inspiration breath-hold (DIBH), it requires a patient to take a deep breath to lift their chest cavity away from their heart while radiotherapy is delivered directly at their tumour.

The technique reduces harmful radiation doses to vital organs and critical tissue and, because the heart is situated on the left side of the body it is particularly effective against cancers in the left breast.

Researchers at CPUK medical centres in Southampton believe the ‘spirometry-monitored’ technique gives more accurate results as it allows a patient to see how deeply they are holding their breath via a monitor.

CPUK tested the technique on 296 patients receiving radiotherapy for left-sided breast cancer between February 2013 and September 2014 and found DIBH ‘significantly reduced’ radiation affecting the heart and other critical organ tissue.

Karol Sikora, chief medical officer at Cancer Partners UK, said: “The importance of considering the longer-term effects of radiotherapy at the point of treatment is absolutely crucial. “Clearly we want to avoid treating someone for cancer and then for them to potentially die of a heart condition which may have been caused by their cancer treatment. If you have left-sided breast cancer, DIBH is the treatment you should choose where possible, for both short and long-term benefit.”

He added: “The future of radiotherapy treatment is going to be focused on using simple techniques like this to reduce dosage of radiation to critical tissue, for instance the heart, spinal cord or bladder.

“The next two decades will see us paying more attention to the longer-term effects of cancer treatments and developing techniques to reduce complications for patients and this research marks the start of that revolution.”

CPUK offers DIBH at its eight radiotherapy and treatment centres across the UK including Southampton radiotherapy centre in Southampton.