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Use of modern radiation therapy following surgery for invasive breast cancer

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Abstract

Radiation therapy has long been used in the treatment of breast cancer. However, it is still very difficult to state with certainty whether or not radiation therapy is truly beneficial for patients with breast cancer, mainly because breast cancers are very heterogeneous in their clinical behavior, and because radiation therapy has undergone significant change in the methodology. We extensively reviewed the literature, and determined that radiation therapy increases the survival of some patients, particularly in conjunction with surgery and systemic therapy. Although the total proportion of such patients seems to be small, applied to the general population of breast cancer patients, the absolute number of women who might benefit from radiation therapy may be quite large.

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Abbreviations

RT:

Radiation therapy

CS:

Conservative surgery

EBCTCG:

Early Breast Cancer Trialists’ Collaborative Group

RFS:

Relapse-free survival

LRF:

Local-regional failure

OS:

Overall survival

CMF:

Cyclophosphamide methotrexate 5-FU

IBTR:

Ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence

NSABP:

National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project

QUART:

Quadrantectomy axillary dissection radiotherapy

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, National Defense Medical College, 3-2, Namiki, 359, Tokorozawa, Japan

    Minoru Uematsu & Shoichi Kusano

  2. Department of Ragiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Japan

    Hideko Hiramatsu

  3. Joint Center for Radiation Therapy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA

    Barbara Silver & Jay R. Harris

Authors
  1. Minoru Uematsu
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  2. Hideko Hiramatsu
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  3. Shoichi Kusano
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  4. Barbara Silver
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  5. Jay R. Harris
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Uematsu, M., Hiramatsu, H., Kusano, S. et al. Use of modern radiation therapy following surgery for invasive breast cancer. Breast Cancer 5, 107–115 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02966682

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