Radiotherapy Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Radiotherapy, including details on cancer treatment, side effects.

The evolution of the conservative approach to breast cancer.

Luini A, Gatti G, Zurrida S, Talakhadze N, Brenelli F, Gilardi D, Paganelli G, Orecchia R, Cassano E, Viale G, Sangalli C, Ballardini B, dos Santos GR, Veronesi U

Division of Breast Surgery, European Institute of Oncology, via Ripamonti 435, Milan, Italy. alberto.luini@ieo.it

The profound revolution that surgical treatment of breast cancer has undergone during the past 30 years has led to the progressive reduction of the extent of surgery, with less mutilation. As a consequence, quality of life has improved and women are now more motivated to follow screening programs for early diagnosis of the disease. Since conservative surgery is as effective as radical surgery, research is now focused on reducing radiotherapy. Overall, survival after breast cancer is not affected by reducing the extent of surgery, which, together with less invasive diagnostic procedures, has a good effect on patients' quality of life. For this reason in our Institute we are now evaluating the feasibility of a reduction of the radiation field and the sensibility and sensitivity of new diagnostic approaches for axillary staging.

Published 3 April 2007 in Breast, 16(2): 120-9.
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