Radiation Therapy During and After Lumpectomy in Treating Women With Stage I or Stage II Breast Cancer

Inclusion Criteria

• •DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Histologically confirmed primary invasive breast carcinoma, meeting the following criteria:
• •* Stage I or II disease (T1-T2, N0, M0)
• •* Tumor pathologically determined to be ≤ 5 cm in diameter
• •* Single, discrete, well-defined primary tumor
• •No multicentric disease and/or diffuse malignant appearing microcalcifications
• •* Any microcalcifications must be focal
• •* Specimen radiograph is required after lumpectomy to assure removal of all malignant appearing calcifications
• •No axillary lymph node involvement
• •* Axillary lymph node status can be determined by level I and II lymph node dissection or sentinel lymph node sampling
• •Must have pathologically negative surgical margins
• •No evidence of metastatic breast cancer
• •Hormone receptor status not specified
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• •ECOG performance status 0-2
• •Menopausal status not specified
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Negative pregnancy test
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• •No pre-existing collagen vascular disease except rheumatoid arthritis that does not require immunosuppressive therapy
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• •No prior irradiation to the area of planned radiation field
• •Concurrent hormone therapy allowed