PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:~I. To determine if intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) reduces average 1-year patient-reported shoulder/arm morbidity in women receiving regional nodal irradiation (RNI) for lymph-node positive breast cancer as compared to historical data.~SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:~I. To measure patient-reported shoulder/arm morbidity in women receiving RNI with 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT) for lymph-node positive breast cancer.~II. To measure change in shoulder range of motion in women receiving RNI. III. To measures rates of ipsilateral upper extremity lymphedema in women receiving RNI.~IV. To explore the dose volume parameters to the shoulder/neck/trunk musculature associated with worsening patient-reported shoulder/arm morbidity.~V. To assess disease outcomes in patients treated with IMRT. VI. To measure long-term patient-reported shoulder/arm morbidity in women receiving RNI with IMRT or 3DCRT.~OUTLINE: Patients are assigned to 1 of 2 arms.~ARM A: Patients undergo IMRT over 5 weeks.~ARM B: Patients undergo 3DCRT over 5 weeks.~After completion study treatment, patients are followed up at 1, 6, and 12 months, and then annually for up to 5 years.
This phase II trial studies the shoulder morbidity in patients with lymph-node positive breast cancer receiving intensity modulated radiation therapy or 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy. Intensity modulated radiation therapy may cause less shoulder/arm morbidity in patients with lymph-node positive breast cancer.