Overview of randomized trials of postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy in breast cancer

This was the first overview of randomized trials in which individual patient information was collected and updated. Previously, reviews relied on published data, but here the trialists all collaborated in updating their databases so that a unified central analysis of all the data could be undertaken. The results proved surprising, and highlighted the existence of a late non-cancer mortality effect associated with radiation. Subsequent reports have identified this to be cardiovascular disease associated with the radiation field, but they also have suggested a balancing benefit in terms of reduced breast cancer mortality, especially for node positive tumours.