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Omission of breast radiation after breast conservation surgery is associated with higher incidence of recurrence rate. This is true for both ductal carcinoma in situ and invasive breast cancer. The chance of local recurrence of breast cancer is reduced from 27% to 12% by giving radiation therapy after lumpectomy (data from NSABP-B17). European Co-operative group study of 1,010 women with ductal carcinoma in situ showed the decrease of recurrence of breast cancer from 16% to 9% by adding radiation therapy after breast conservation surgery. Because of these evidences woman with ductal carcinoma in situ
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who had breast conservation surgery are strongly advised to have radiation therapy to breast after surgery. There may be some low risk patients who can just have wide excision and skip radiation therapy, but the currently available information from clinical trials does not identify such a subgroup of patients on whom the radiation therapy may be safely omitted. This issue remains controversial and further evidence is needed to definitely answer this question.
For more information on radiation please refer to section on radiation therapy of breast cancer.
Radiationtherapy
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