Skip to main content
OSTI.GOVU.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information
 

Cancer of the breast. Radiation therapy

Journal Article · · Major Probl. Clin. Surg.; (United States)
OSTI ID:5173441
;
There are indications that radiotherapy alone, or following minimal extirpative surgery in selected cases, may be as effective for control of breast cancer as conventional mastectomies. The role of radiotherapy following segmental mastectomy, with or without axillary dissection, needs to be clarified. The possibility exists that high LET (linear energy transfer) radiation such as neutron or pi meson beams may provide better local control than conventional radiation. It may be possible to treat effectively all primary breast cancers with such radiations and obviate the need for any type of mastectomy. It remains to be demonstrated whether adjuvant chemotherapy is as effective as radiotherapy in preventing chest wall and regional node recurrences. If it is not, there may be a place for both adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy in the treatment of operable cancer of the breast. Effective chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy may increase the local and regional control achieved with radiotherapy alone and make more primary lesions suitable for treatment without mastectomy. Further study is necessary to define exactly how much immunosuppression results from radiotherapy, its clinical significance and what can be done to avoid or counter it. If Stjervsward's thesis (1974) concerning the deleterious effects of radiotherapy on survival is correct, then it is of great importance to identify those patients most likely to be adversely affected by radiotherapy. It may be possible in the future to identify a subgroup of patients who would not be adversely affected by radiation and who would be most likely to benefit from it.
OSTI ID:
5173441
Journal Information:
Major Probl. Clin. Surg.; (United States), Journal Name: Major Probl. Clin. Surg.; (United States) Vol. 5; ISSN MPSRA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

Effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on cosmesis and complications in patients with breast cancer treated by definitive irradiation
Conference · Mon Oct 31 23:00:00 EST 1983 · Int. J. Radiat. Oncol., Biol. Phys.; (United States) · OSTI ID:5300770
A phase III randomized study on the sequencing of radiotherapy and chemotherapy in the conservative management of early-stage breast cancer
Journal Article · Sat Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 2005 · International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics · OSTI ID:20788280
Effect of Postmastectomy Radiotherapy in Patients <35 Years Old With Stage II-III Breast Cancer Treated With Doxorubicin-Based Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Mastectomy
Journal Article · Fri Nov 30 23:00:00 EST 2007 · International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics · OSTI ID:21039671

Related Subjects

550603 -- Medicine-- External Radiation in Therapy-- (1980-)
560151* -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Man
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BEAMS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BODY
DELAYED RADIATION EFFECTS
DISEASES
DOCUMENT TYPES
GLANDS
IMMUNE REACTIONS
IMMUNOSUPPRESSION
MAMMARY GLANDS
MEDICINE
MESON BEAMS
NEOPLASMS
NEUTRON BEAMS
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
NUCLEON BEAMS
ORGANS
PARTICLE BEAMS
PATIENTS
PION BEAMS
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIOLOGY
RADIOTHERAPY
REVIEWS
SIDE EFFECTS
SURVIVAL TIME
THERAPY