New Directions in Radiation for Breast Conserving Therapy in Early Stage Breast Cancer

Breast conservation therapy is fully accepted as a recommended treatment instead of mastectomy for suitable early stage breast cancer patients. Long term results from the initial randomized trial comparing BCT to mastectomy have demonstrated comparable local control and equivalent survival. The diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer has evolved over the past 2 decades since the randomized trials were initiated. For example, there is now widespread mammography screening, better understanding of breast cancer pathology, and emergence of numerous effective systemic therapy agents. This makes it timely to review the current methods for BCT. This review will focus on the radiation component of BCT, its impact on local cancer control, and how newer radiation technologies may help preserve local control while reducing toxicity and burden of care.