Radiation therapy for breast cancer is indicated for:
Radiotherapy after radical or modified radical surgery
- When the lesion is located in the lateral quadrant, the mass is ≤5 cm, and the axillary lymph nodes are negative on postoperative pathology, the surgeon usually does not perform postoperative radiation therapy.
- When the lesion is located in the medial or central quadrant and the axillary lymph nodes are negative, it is still controversial whether to irradiate the internal mammary region, but most physicians do not recommend irradiation of the internal mammary region.
- The need for postoperative radiation therapy for 1 to 3 positive axillary lymph nodes is inconclusive.
- Chest wall irradiation is indicated in addition to regional lymph node radiation therapy for positive cut margins or residual foci visible to the naked eye, T3 and T4 tumors, those with extraperitoneal infiltration of lymph nodes, and those with 4 or more positive lymph nodes.
Postoperative radiation therapy for preserved breast
- Single breast lesion with a maximum diameter of ≤4 cm.
- Moderate breast size.
- No metastasis in axillary lymph nodes or a single active enlarged lymph node.
- The patient is voluntary.
Duration of treatment:
- For regional lymph node prophylaxis, once daily, 5 times a week for 5 to 5.5 weeks.
- Chest wall irradiation with electrons of appropriate energy or tangential irradiation with γ-rays or high-energy X-rays for 5 to 6 weeks.
- Inside and outside tangential fields are irradiated together when irradiating the breast after breast conservation, once a day, 5 times a week, 23 to 25 times/5 weeks.