Imaging for early stage breast cancer

Something about breast RT morbidity

The risk of late morbidity is a key factor in the planning and decision making of how and when RT should be used in breast cancer treatment

This is because RT is adjuvant, and we do not see on the patient the “anti-tumor effect” due to the late occurrence and low frequency of loco-regional failure in irradiated patients

In the multimodal practice, (late) radiation morbidity therefore is our guidance – and indications for RT, target volume (incl. partial breast irradiation), chemo-RT sequence etc. are all decisions which are largely “morbidity driven”

Knowledge of morbidity and its underlying mechanisms is therefore of utmost importance