Abstract

Breast conserving treatment (BCT) is the treatment of choice in early breast cancer. Despite years of observation it is still regarded as controversial #x2013; not in regard to the very idea; the controversy pertains rather to the way it is being performed by radiation oncologists and surgeons. There are no uniform indications as far as the optimal surgery range is concerned (lumpectomy alone, lumpectomy with the macroscopic margin of 1cm, excision of the breast tissue block of a segment or a quadrant). BCT has produced survival equivalent to mastectomy in the treatment of patients with early-stage invasive breast carcinoma in several randomized Phase III clinical trials. Breast irradiation is an essential element of the conservative approach. Local recurrence risk after surgery alone reaches 35%, compared to 10% in patients undergoing adjuvant radiotherapy [1]. First, the whole breast is irradiated using external beam technique, usually with a dose of 50Gy. Subsequently it is necessary to increase the dose delivered to the tumour bed using a so called #x201C;boost#x201D;.