Radiation therapy after breast-conserving surgery

The authors critically reviewed previous articles concerning the significance of breast irradiation following breast-conserving surgery in terms of the following subject items: indications for breast-conserving therapy, the significance and complications of breast irradiation, the timing of the start of breast irradiation, the significance of boost irradiation, the potential improvement of survival with systemic therapy plus breast irradiation, the significance of axillary dissection, indications and the significance of regional nodal irradiation, accelerated hypofractionated radiotherapy, omission of breast irradiation in low-risk patients, and future directions. In addition, our previously reported results of breast irradiation following breast-conserving surgery at the Keio University Hospital are outlined. Our newly developed tangential irradiation technique directed to the axilla and a recently introduced three-dimensional simulation technique for radiotherapy treatment planning are also presented. This work was presented as an educational lecture at the 64^th Japan Radiological Society meeting in April 2005.