a b s t r a c tBackground and Purpose: Large breast size is associated with an increased risk of late adverse effects after breast conservation surgery and radiotherapy, even when 3D dosimetry is used. The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that residual dose inhomogeneity is sufficient to explain the association. Methods: Patients previously treated after breast conservation surgery with whole breast radiotherapy using 3D dosimetry and followed up in the UK FAST hypofractionation trial were selected for this analysis. The residual level of dose inhomogeneity across the whole breast treatment volume was used to test for association between residual dosimetry and post-treatment change in breast appearance at 2 years post-radiotherapy. Results: At 2 years, 201/279 (72%) of women had no change in photographic breast appearance, 61 (22%) had mild change and 17 (6%) had marked change. Breast size and dosimetry were both significantly associated with late effects in univariate analyses, but only breast size remained an independent significant risk factor for change in breast appearance when included in a multiple regression model together with other prognostic factors (p = 0.006 for trend). Conclusion: Large-breasted women are more likely to suffer change in breast size and shape after whole breast radiotherapy delivered using 3D dosimetry, but residual dose inhomogeneity is insufficient to explain the association.Ó 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. Radiotherapy and Oncology xxx (2011) xxx-xxxThere is retrospective evidence that breast size is a risk factor for late adverse effects following breast conservation surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy for early breast cancer [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. Body mass index, correlated to breast size and brassiere size, has also been linked to the risk of acute skin reactions and to late cosmesis [10][11][12]. Not all studies are confirmatory, but the weight of evidence suggests that the association between the size of the breast and the risk of early and late adverse effects in the breast is real [13][14][15][16]. Analyses are based on assessments of late adverse effects made in clinic or from photographs, focusing on changes in breast size and shape, breast oedema and telangiectasia. Marked acute skin reactions in the inframammary fold of heavy-breasted patients may explain part of the association via an increased risk of consequential late effects.Suboptimal dosimetry is thought to explain at least part of the association between breast size and risk of late normal tissue damage after radiotherapy delivered using 2D techniques [1,2,4,6,17]. A cause and effect relationship is supported by the 5-year results of a randomised trial (N = 306) comparing 2D and 3D radiation dosimetry [18], but not so far by the 2-year results of a larger confirmatory study [19]. Assuming dose distribution matters, it is not known if residual dose inhomogeneity in patients treated using 3D dosimetry explains a significant component of late adverse effects in large breasted w...