• Med. J. Aust. · Aug 2017

    Review

    Radiation therapy and early breast cancer: current controversies.

    • John Boyages.
    • Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW john.boyages@mq.edu.au.
    • Med. J. Aust. 2017 Aug 4; 207 (5): 216-222.

    AbstractRadiation therapy (RT) is an important component of breast cancer treatment. RT reduces local recurrence and breast cancer mortality after breast conservation for all patients and for node-positive patients after a mastectomy. Short courses of RT over 3-4 weeks are generally as effective as longer courses. A patient subgroup where RT can be avoided after conservative surgery has not been consistently identified. A radiation boost reduces the risk of a recurrence in the breast but may be omitted for older patients with good prognosis tumours with clear margins. Axillary recurrences can take a long time to appear, with 35% occurring after 5 years. Leaving disease untreated in regional nodes is associated with reduced survival. Not all patients require radiation after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and a subsequent mastectomy. Modern RT equipment and techniques will further improve survival rates.

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