Strahlentherapie

The radiation oncologists involved in the updating process of the S3 guidelines had to identify the need for some refinements regarding primary therapy, treatment of locoregional recurrences and of metastatic disease taking recent data and concepts of radiotherapy (RT) into account. Updates with respect to indications for RT affect target volumes in cases of locoregional lymph node involvement, partial breast irradiation including (sole) intraoperative RT, hypofractionated RT, combinations with systemic treatment and the management of locoregional relapses and distant metastases. In accordance with the methodological specifications of the S3 update procedure, the validity of existing indications for RT were to a large extent revised by adaption to a number of predetermined guidelines. Therefore, the new statements with respect to RT are only partially derived from up to date systematic reviews of databases and original references from the past 2 years. The appraisals and grades of recommendations related to indications and modalities of RT developed in a multidisciplinary and cross-sectional comprehensive consensus incorporate most of the proposals of the radiation oncologists. Amendments are described in detail.