Sorting out the Survival Impact of Radiation Therapy in Early-Stage Invasive Breast Cancer
Radiation plays a major role in the management of early-stage breast cancer. While its impact on local–regional control is clearly documented with both clinically and statistically significant gains, the impact of radiation on overall and disease-free survival in early-stage disease remains a matter of controversy and debate.1–4

There are two major areas where the impact of radiation therapy on overall and disease-free survival has been extensively evaluated: 1. radiation to the whole breast following breast-conserving surgery (BCS + RT) and 2. comprehensive irradiation to the chest wall/breast and regional lymphatics after definitive surgery. In this commentary, we will review the evidence and controversies in these two major areas.1–3