External hypofractionated whole-breast radiotherapy: now where does accelerated partial breast irradiation stand?

ABSTRACT

Breast-conserving therapy (BCT) has emerged as a viable option for suitable breast cancer patients who are desirous of preserving the breast. The major advantage of BCT is the good cosmetic outcome with disease-free and overall survival similar to mastectomy. In this article, I have compared two emerging modalities for treating a preserved breast with radiotherapy. These two techniques in breast cancer - accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) and hypofractionated whole breast external beam radiotherapy - have their respective merits and drawbacks, and this article attempts to dissect the issue.