Advancements in Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: Skipping Regional Nodal Irradiation for Breast Cancer

Skipping adjuvant regional nodal irradiation after neoadjuvant chemotherapy did not increase the risk of disease recurrence or death in breast cancer patients whose lymph nodes converted from positive to negative. The NRG Oncology/NSABP B-51/RTOG 1304 clinical trial found that patients who omitted regional nodal irradiation had similar outcomes to those who received it, suggesting that some patients may be able to avoid the complications associated with the treatment. Further long-term follow-up is planned to strengthen the analysis.