Dose constraints in breast cancer radiotherapy. A critical review

Radiotherapy plays an essential role in the treatment of breast cancer (BC). Recent advances in treatment technology and radiobiological knowledge have a major impact in BC patients with locoregional disease as the majority are now long-term survivors.

Over the last three decades, intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and deep inspiration breath-hold (DIBH) techniques, together with the increasing adoption of moderately hypofractionated and ultra-hypofractionated treatment schedules as well as the possibility to offer partial breast radiotherapy to a well-defined patient subset have significantly changed radiotherapy for BC patients.

As dose-volume constraints (DVCs) have to be adapted to these new treatment paradigms we have reviewed available evidence-based data concerning dose-constraints for the main organs at risk (OARs) that apply to the treatment of whole breast/chest wall radiotherapy, whole breast/chest wall radiotherapy including regional nodal irradiation (RNI) and partial breast irradiation (PBI), for the most relevant fractionation schedules that have been introduced recently. This narrative review provides a comprehensive summary that may help to harmonize treatment planning strategies.