[Adjuvant radiotherapy in breast cancer]

During the last decades the treatment of breast cancer has changed considerably. Radical surgical procedures have increasingly been replaced by breast conserving therapy including radiation therapy of the whole breast (WBI). This change in treatment approach is partly due to clinical study results and pathological observations. The current indications and guidelines in the treatment of breast cancer by radiation are shown along with the ensuing implications for patient and physician. More recently, growing interest has been noted in partial breast irradiation. The different techniques for partial breast irradiation (APBI), their advantages and drawbacks are outlined.