Conservation surgery and radiation therapy in early breast cancer - An update.

BACKGROUND: Multiple randomised trials and meta-analyses have supported the use of conservative surgery (CS) and radiation therapy (RT) for the treatment of early-stage breast cancer. Following lumpectomy, RT has been shown to decrease the chance of local recurrence and improve overall survival when compared with lumpectomy alone.

OBJECTIVE: This update outlines the rationale and outcomes for CS and RT, whether a subgroup exists in which RT may be safely omitted, the process of RT, common side effects and their management, and the latest techniques in the field.

DISCUSSION: Breast conservation remains an effective treatment for breast cancer without a survival disadvantage to a mastectomy. The combination of advanced imaging and fast three-dimensional (3D) radiotherapy planning computer systems have allowed new techniques that deliver RT more accurately, with better tumour control, fewer side effects and improved survival.