Constraints and common techniques in postmastectomy radiotherapy

Abstract EN

Over the past 50 years breast cancer has become a major health problem affecting as many as one in eight women during their lifetime.

Mastectomy is one of the main options in the treatment of breast cancer patients in an aim to avoid metastases of the disease.

Yet, a successful operation does not eliminate the risks of local recurrence.

Postmastectomy radiotherapy can significantly reduce these risks.

This study intends to review and evaluate the challenges and complications which are sometimes associated with postmastectomy radiotherapy.

Clinical and dosimetric trials were carried out using various techniques to optimize the treatments by maximizing the dose to the tumor and minimizing it to the healthy tissues at proximity.

No one technique studied fulfilled these requirements.

This is basically because the heterogeneity of the breast cancer means that the response to therapy and a systematic approach to treatment cannot be derived and treatment regions must be determined on a patient-by-patient basis.

The accuracy of dose distributions is crucial to the quality of treatment planning and consequently to the doses delivered to patients undergoing radiation therapy.

The successful radiation therapy depends on the stage of cancer.

KEYWORDS: Breast cancer, Postmastectomy radiotherapy,IMRT,PMRT