Radiation therapy as an adjuvant treatment after breast-conserving surgery in ductal carcinoma In situ of the breast

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast is a nonmalignant tumor of the breast with a rising incidence due to systematic mammographic screening. Actual consensus on conservative therapy is based on lumpectomy followed by adjuvant radiation therapy to the whole breast. This approach has been established after multiple large clinical trials and confirmed with subsequent meta-analyses. However, there are still debates on the benefit of adjuvant radiation therapy in a largely undefined "low-risk population." This review tries to discuss actual data on this matter and discuss the benefits and risks of radiation therapy after lumpectomy in DCIS. (author)