Clinical-Pathologic Study of Early Breast Cancer Treated by Primary Radiation Therapy

摘要

PRIMARY RADIATION THERAPY for early breast cancer is a treatment approach that combines conservative surgery and radiation therapy. The conservative surgery consists of a resection of the tumor and, typically, a lower axillary dissection. The lower axillary dissection is performed to estimate prognosis and to determine the need for adjuvant systemic therapy. External beam radiation is then delivered to the entire involved breast and appropriate lymph node areas, depending on the location of the tumor and the histologic status of the axillary nodes. An additional radiation dose, generally referred to as a "boost," is delivered to the primary tumor area by either interstitial implantation or more restricted external beam radiation#