Radiation-related wounds of the chest wall

Irradiation-associated chest wall lesions pose a significant health hazard to to patient. The principles of management include (1) biopsy of any open wounds to rule out the recurrence of persistence of tumor, (2) aggressive debridement of all offending tissues, and (3) reconstruction with well-vascularized flap tissue. Numerous questions arise regarding the practical management of these patients. The controversies that have arisen during our management of more than 100 of these patients have been discussed