Progress of clinical study on hypofractionated radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery

Whole-breast radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery (BCS) can improve patient survival while reducing local tumor recurrence. Although standard breast radiotherapy can achieve good tumor control and cosmetic effects with low toxicity, the 5- to 7-week treatment time is relatively long for patients and can result in wasted medical resources. Therefore, there is a growing trend toward hypofractionated radiotherapy (HFRT), which accelerates partial-breast irradiation. Both short-course radiotherapy and conventional fractionated radiotherapy are safe and effective treatment modes, with similar survival and local tumor control effects as those of conventional radiotherapy (CRT), and adverse reactions can be tolerated. Compared with conventional fractionated radiotherapy, short-course radiotherapy saves medical resources and has a shorter total treatment time, reduced treatment costs, and an improved quality of life for patients.