Acta oncologica
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It is well established that adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) reduces loco-regional recurrences in breast cancer. The effect on overall survival, on the other hand, is a much-debated issue. Some old trials with a long follow-up as well as the first report on the overview of the randomized RT trials initiated before 1975 showed a reduced survival among irradiated patients compared with the surgical controls. ⋯ There are few data concerning the cardiac side effects of RT after conservative surgery. Some studies suggest that radiation-induced heart disease may be a potential problem also among these patients. Therefore, the search for both the causes of radiation-induced heart disease and preventive measures is crucial issues in breast cancer radiation oncology.