Breast Radiotherapy: Basic Principles and Evidence for Management

This lecture will explore the biological rationale for radiotherapy in breast cancer management. We will discuss the radiation treatment process, indications for radiotherapy, side effects of treatment, and future directions for the field.  Radiotherapy is an essential part of both early and advanced-stage breast cancer management. It is used in both post-lumpectomy and post-mastectomy. Modern techniques have led to reduced rates of toxicity.  We will discuss the indications for radiotherapy in breast cancer management, including breast-conserving surgery and post-mastectomy, lymph node-positive cases. We will also discuss the potential side effects of treatment.  Finally, we will discuss future directions for the field and new areas of research that hope to identify patients most likely to benefit from radiotherapy and to deliver precision RT with the assessment of synergy with systemic therapy. ~objectives~ - Review the biological rationale for radiotherapy - Review the radiation treatment process - Review indications for radiotherapy in breast cancer management breast conserving surgery and post-mastectomy, LN+ - Discuss side effects of treatment - Discuss future directions for the field