Can breast cancer be reirradiated?

Abstract

Salvage mastectomy is still the standard procedure for ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence. A second breast-conserving approach with re-irradiation is considered nowadays feasible in selected patients, with good results in terms of local control and tolerance. In this work we summarize the different radiation techniques and their results in order to define recommendations to help groups starting to consider this approach in their institutions. Although the difficulty due to the low rate of breast cancer recurrences after first breast conserving therapy, further clinical trials are needed to confirm these results.