Modern breast cancer radiotherapy techniques significantly reduce radiation doses delivered to the heart and decrease cardiac mortality compared to older conventional techniques.
Does modern adjuvant radiotherapy reduce cardiotoxicity compared to conventional techniques in breast cancer patients?
Modern radiotherapy techniques for breast cancer appear to reduce the risk of cardiotoxicity compared to conventional methods, highlighting the importance of heart dose monitoring.
Adjuvant radiotherapy after breast cancer surgery is an important part of breast cancer treatment improving local control and overall survival. However, a higher risk of cardiac mortality was observed when conventional radiotherapy techniques were used. Cardiac morbidity and mortality after radiation therapy have been studied in many meta-analyses. In those focused on modern radiotherapy techniques, cardiac morbidity and mortality were no longer presented. However, an extremely long follow-up period is required. Importantly, the cardiac morbidity rates vary depending not only on the dose delivered to the heart, but also on the systemic therapies administrated and the pre-existing cardiac disease. Systematic heart dose monitoring is of great importance, as are efforts to constantly decrease doses, using advanced radiotherapy techniques. Nowadays, it is essential to individualize treatment according to tumor characteristics and anatomical predispositions, and to consider the cost and benefits.
Soumarová et al. (Mon,) conducted a review in Breast cancer. Modern radiotherapy techniques vs. Conventional radiotherapy techniques was evaluated on Cardiac morbidity and mortality. Modern breast cancer radiotherapy techniques significantly reduce radiation doses delivered to the heart and decrease cardiac mortality compared to older conventional techniques.