title: Selection of patients with early stage invasive breast cancer for treatment with conservative surgery and radiation therapy.
abstract: The combination of breast-conserving surgery and radiation therapy is now accepted as a standard treatment option for most women with clinical stage I or II invasive breast cancer. The great majority of individuals with early stage breast cancer are potential candidates for treatment with conservative surgery and radiation therapy. Nonetheless, for a few patients, such treatment may be absolutely or relatively contraindicated due to toxicity concerns, poor anticipated cosmetic results, or a heightened risk of local failure. This article will discuss the patient, clinical, and pathologic factors relevant to selecting patients for this treatment approach.
authors.affiliation: Joint Center for Radiation Therapy, Department of Radiation Oncology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Recht
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D000075202:Contraindications; D003358:Cosmetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015412:Mastectomy, Segmental; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018579:Patient Selection; D011878:Radiotherapy
chemical_list: D003358:Cosmetics