Radiation-induced Malignancy

Radiation-induced secondary cancer is one of the rare complications of radiation therapy. Although it is very infrequent, it is important to be aware of it because many breast cancer patients are long-term survivors. Among radiation-induced secondary cancers, soft tissue sarcomas can be problematic, and it is especially important to understand breast angiosarcoma, which occurs after breast-conserving therapy. The risk factors include not only dose and extent of irradiation, but also smoking and hereditary factors. In this section, radiation-induced secondary cancers due to perioperative radiation therapy for breast cancer will be outlined. (author)