Julia S. Wong, MD

Hypofractionated radiotherapy yields less financial toxicity than conventionally fractionated radiotherapy in patients with breast cancer who have undergone reconstruction following mastectomy.

Those with breast cancer who have undergone implant-based reconstruction following mastectomy have similar outcomes with hypofractionated vs conventionally fractionated radiotherapy.

The role of radiation therapy in the management of breast cancer has continued to evolve over the past several years, in both the breast-conserving and postmastectomy settings. In this issue of ONCOLOGY, Dr. William Small provides a thorough yet concise review of current practices in radiation therapy for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), early-stage invasive breast cancer managed conservatively, and postmastectomy situations. These discussions are supported by a well-selected group of publications on each topic. In addition, the author summarizes the available data and some of the controversies surrounding the use of nodal irradiation, especially in this era of sentinel node biopsy. We would like to mention a few points that warrant further discussion.