Accelerated Radiation Therapy After Surgery in Treating Patients With Breast Cancer

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. Freedom from local failure and freedom from regional failure. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. Acute toxicity and late toxicity using previously published toxicity scales. II. To identify co-variates responsible for poor cosmetic outcome in women with reconstructed chest walls when treated with accelerated, hypofractionated radiotherapy. III. To correlate toxicity, cosmesis, and local control with molecular markers. OUTLINE: Patients undergo hypofractionated accelerated RT over 11 weekdays (for 15 elapsed days) within 21-63 days after last surgery or last course of chemotherapy. Treatment continues in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up at 2-8 weeks, every 3-6 months for 3 years, every 6-12 months for 2 years, and then annually thereafter.