Accelerated Radiation Therapy After Surgery in Treating Patients With Breast Cancer

Inclusion Criteria:

Invasive ductal, medullary, papillary, colloid (mucinous), or tubular histologies; invasive lobular carcinomas are allowed
American Joint Committee for Cancer (AJCC) Stage IIa - IIIc (pathologic stage T0N1-3, T1N1-3, T2N1-3, T3N0-3, T4N0-3, all M0 status) histologically confirmed invasive carcinoma of the breast treated with mastectomy and either sentinel node biopsy or axillary dissection; inflammatory carcinoma (T4d) is allowed
Patients with locally advanced breast cancer on clinical exam and diagnostics ( > 3 cm and/or clinically node-positive) who have mastectomy after induction chemotherapy are allowed
Multifocal/multicentric disease is allowed
Negative inked histologic margins of mastectomy (no invasive cells at margin) or positive margin at pectoralis fascia or skin
Tamoxifen, Arimidex or other hormonal therapy is allowed; it may begin any time relative to the radiation at the discretion of the treating physician
Chemotherapy is allowed, if chemotherapy is indicated the chemotherapy can be delivered first, followed by radiation therapy beginning 21-63 days after the last cycle of chemotherapy or the radiation therapy can be delivered first and the chemotherapy can be delivered no earlier than 21 days post radiation therapy; neoadjuvant chemotherapy is allowed; radiation therapy will be delivered after mastectomy or after any adjuvant chemotherapy as described above
Chest wall reconstruction is allowed
The patient must be enrolled and have treatment planning between 14-63 days from date of last surgery or last cycle of chemotherapy, and radiation must start within 21-63 days of date of last surgery or last cycle of chemotherapy
Signed study-specific informed consent form prior to study entry
Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1

Exclusion Criteria:

Patient with distant metastases (M1)
Patients with ductal or lobular carcinoma in-situ alone (no invasive component) and patients with non-epithelial breast malignancies such as sarcoma or lymphoma
Patient with T1N0 or T2N0 disease
Prior radiation therapy to the chest
Patients with collagen vascular diseases, specifically systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, or dermatomyositis
Patients with co-existing medical conditions with life expectancy < 2 years
Patients with psychiatric (with the possible exception of incompetence as defined by New Jersey [NJ] law) or addictive disorders that would preclude obtaining informed consent
Other malignancy, except non-melanomatous skin cancer, < 5 years prior to participation in this study; the disease-free interval from any prior carcinoma must be continuous
Women who are pregnant or lactating due to potential exposure of the fetus to RT and unknown effects of RT to lactating females
Women who are able to conceive and unwilling to practice an effective method of birth control; women of childbearing potential must have a negative urine or serum pregnancy test within 7 days prior to treatment