A Simple Method for Reducing Ovarian Dose During Megavoltage Irradiation of the Breast

Breast cancer in its early stages can be effectively treated with conservative surgery and irradiation. In young women who wish to subsequently bear children, reduction of ovarian dose during irradiation could be of great emotional significance. We describe a simple, convenient, cost-effective method by which ovarian dose was reduced from 18 cGy to 8 cGy during tangential irradiation of the intact breast with 6 MV photons.