Indications for adjuvant radiotherapy in breast cancer: Armenian consensus 2021-2022

ABSTRACT

The radiotherapy plays a significant role as a component of the complex treatment of breast cancer, in almost all of its stages. However, despite numerous international recommendations and clinical protocols, there is still no single approach among oncologists (surgeons and medical oncologists) referring to radiotherapy (RT). According to our calculations in Armenia, for various reasons, more than 100 primary patients do not receive indicated radiotherapy every year. The main reason for this situation is the lack of approved national clinical protocols that are mandatory for all certified oncological units in the country. In such cases, various professional associations or small initiative groups should play an important role in order to ensure uniform approaches to treatment at the national level. A convenient format for this is to set up small working groups, composed of leading experts in a particular field, who can reach a consensus on the issue under study.
In this regard, on November 26, 2021, a working meeting of experts in the field of mammology and RT was held with the purpose of developing general principles and a unified approach to prescribing RT after surgery and drug therapy for breast cancer. This publication summarizes the main conclusions reached as a consensus during the discussion. Those conclusions should serve as mandatory recommendations for all medical centers in Armenia treating the breast cancer.