Alternative mode of whole-breast radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery in early-stage breast cancer

Whole-breast irradiation has been used to reduce the risk of ipsilateral breast tumor recu-rrence after breast-conserving surgery for early breast cancer. A number of randomized clinical trials and meta-analyses have demonstrated the effectiveness and safety of whole-breast irradiation. With the progress of radiotherapy and the survival extented of patients, this standard treatment model is facing some challenges for different breast cancer groups, and its alternative model has been paid more attention at the same time. The efficacy of partial breast irradiation, hypofactionated whole breast irradiation and the omission of breast RT are equivalent to whole-breast irradiation, while the side effects are reduced. In the same time, they shorten the treatment time of patient and reduce the burden on the patient, which is worth for popularization and application in clinic. Key words: Breast neoplasms; Radiotherapy; Breast-conserving surgery