The role of post-operative radiotherapy in the treatment of operable breast cancer

Summary In current practice, the management of early stage breast cancer involves a multidisciplinary cooperation among surgeons, radiation therapists, and medical oncologists. The goals of local treatment in this setting are to secure tumor control and to identify patients who are to be treated with adjuvant systemic therapy. For patients treated by mastectomy, the value of post-operative radiotherapy in primary treatment remains controversial. In this review, we examine the evolution of treatment philosophies for operable breast cancer and the results from recent clinical studies in an attempt to assess the current role of post-operative radiotherapy.