Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation: The Search for the Optimal Technique Continues

Given the high prevalence of breast cancer, women need options allowing breast preservation with excellent cosmetic and oncologic results that do not require 7 weeks of once-daily whole breast irradiation (WBI). Much creative energy has been applied to solving this problem because our technology has advanced, resulting in strategies that reduce treatment duration and/or volume, as well as radiation therapy (RT) omission. The most strongly evidence-based options to date require at least 5 fractions, and these ultrashort courses are still not universally available, leaving room for additional research and dissemination of novel techniques.