Abstract

Kilovoltage (kV) radiotherapy, also called superficial radiotherapy (SXT) or orthovoltage radiotherapy (DXT), is a well-known and effective treatment option for non-melanoma skin cancer and some benign skin and musculoskeletal conditions. Given its surface dose delivery, its use in radiation oncology beyond superficial skin cancers is generally limited, but it has also been shown to be extremely useful for specific palliative applications. Here, we describe the characteristics of kilovoltage radiotherapy and report on six cases of locally advanced and/or metastatic breast cancer in which kilovoltage radiotherapy was used as the primary modality or as supportive treatment to linac-based radiotherapy to gain local tumor control and improve the patient’s quality of life.

Keywords

Kilovoltage (kV) radiotherapy, breast carcinoma, orthovoltage radiation therapy