Review article
https://doi.org/10.20471/LO.2023.51.01.03
Breast cancer radiotherapy - changes in fractionation schemes through decades
Katarina Antunac
orcid.org/0000-0002-8356-9897
; Division of Oncology and Radiotherapy, University Hospital for Tumors, Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital Center, Zagreb, Croatia
Lidija Beketić-Orešković
; Division of Oncology and Radiotherapy, University Hospital for Tumors, Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital Center, Zagreb, Croatia and Department of Clinical Oncology, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Traditionally, as a standard dose fractionation schedule, adjuvant radiotherapy for breast cancer has been performed using prescribed doses of 46–50 Gy divided into daily fractions of 1.8–2 Gy. Overall, radiotherapy treatment took 5 weeks. In the 1990s, schedules using higher daily doses (2.5–3 Gy), a smaller number of fractions (hypofractionation), and a reduced overall prescribed dose started in the context of clinical trials. First results revealed an equivalent cosmetic effect of hypofractionated protocols compared to standard fractionation, and after longer follow-up, hypofractionation was connected with better control of the disease. Hypofractionation started to be considered the new treatment standard. Results of newer clinical trials confirm the efficacy and safety of adjuvant breast cancer radiotherapy lasting 5 working days using daily fractions of 5.2 Gy in certain subgroups of breast cancer patients
Keywords
breast cancer; adjuvant radiotherapy; hypofractionation
Hrčak ID:
305506
URI
Publication date:
27.5.2023.
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