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Whole Breast Radiation for Early Stage Breast Cancer

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Radiation Therapy Techniques and Treatment Planning for Breast Cancer

Abstract

Many patients with early stage breast cancer will be candidates for breast conservation including adjuvant radiotherapy. In this setting, whole breast radiotherapy (WBRT) is the most commonly utilized approach. This can be accomplished with the patient in the supine or prone position, and the treatment course can range from 3 to 7 weeks in duration, depending on patient and tumor characteristics. Generally, 3–6 weeks elapse following lumpectomy before initiation of WBRT to allow postsurgical healing. In this chapter, we cover the basics of the whole breast radiotherapy treatment planning.

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Correspondence to Janet K. Horton MD .

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Blitzblau, R.C., Yoo, S., Horton, J.K. (2016). Whole Breast Radiation for Early Stage Breast Cancer. In: Bellon, J., Wong, J., MacDonald, S., Ho, A. (eds) Radiation Therapy Techniques and Treatment Planning for Breast Cancer. Practical Guides in Radiation Oncology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40392-2_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40392-2_1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-40390-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-40392-2

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