Are there high-risk subgroups for isolated locoregional failure in patients who had T1/2 breast cancer with one to three positive lymph nodes and received mastectomy without radiotherapy?

Background

To define the factors associated with increased risk of isolated locoregional failure that may justify postmastectomy radiotherapy in patients with T1/2 breast cancer and 1–3 positive lymph nodes.

Methods

Between 1990 and 2002, 248 patients who had pT1–2 breast cancer and 1–3 positive lymph nodes were treated with mastectomy without radiotherapy (age 32–84, median 54).

Results

Median follow-up time was 82 months (range 2–189 months). For all patients, the 8-year isolated locoregional failure-free rate was 95 %. In univariate analysis, hormone receptor status and administration of hormone therapy were statistically significant factors, and vascular invasion was the borderline significant factor for isolated locoregional failure-free rates (P = 0.0377, 0.0181, and 0.0555, respectively). The 8-year isolated locoregional failure-free rates were 98 % for patients with positive hormone receptor status and 90 % for patients with negative hormone receptor status, 97 % for patients who received hormone therapy and 89 % for patients who did not receive hormone therapy, 92 % for patients with vascular invasion and 97 % for patients without vascular invasion. In multivariate analysis for hormone receptor status and vascular invasion, the former was statistically significant (P = 0.0491) and the latter was borderline significant (P = 0.0664). When patients had both negative hormone receptor and positive vascular invasion status, the 8-year isolated locoregional failure-free rates decreased to 83 %.

Conclusions

With regard to patients who had pT1/2 breast cancer and 1–3 positive lymph nodes, isolated locoregional failure was not common in general; however, patients who had both negative hormone receptor status and vascular invasion were comparatively high-risk patients for isolated locoregional failure.     

Impact of aggregate of risk factors for isolated locoregional failure in breast cancer patients treated with mastectomy without radiotherapy

Background

The impact of aggregate of risk factors on isolated locoregional failure after mastectomy without radiotherapy was assessed.

Methods

We reviewed 1091 patients who had stage I–III unilateral breast cancer and received mastectomy between 1990 and 2002.

Results

Median follow-up time was 67 (1–175) months. On multivariate analysis, four or more positive axillary lymph nodes (AXLN ≥4), pT4, primary tumor larger than 5 cm (T >5 cm), severe lymphatic invasion (ly2–3), and negative hormone receptor status (HR negative) were the statistically significant risk factors (hazard ratios 5.78, 2.31, 2.47, 2.99, and 3.40, respectively). The 8-year isolated locoregional failure-free rates of patients with single risk factor were 88% for AXLN ≥4, 93% for pT4, 93% for T >5 cm, 98% for ly2–3, and 97% for HR negative. Considering impact on isolated locoregional failure, AXLN ≥4 was termed the major risk factor and other factors were termed minor risk factors. The 8-year isolated locoregional failure-free rates were 98% for patients with only 0–1 minor risk factors (low-risk group), 86% for patients with the major risk factor alone or with only 2–4 minor risk factors (intermediate-risk group), 72% for patients with the major risk factor plus 1–2 minor risk factors (high-risk group), and 28% for patients with the major risk factor plus 3–4 minor risk factors (very high-risk group).

Conclusions

Aggregate of risk factors increased the risk of isolated locoregional failure significantly. Patients with the major risk factor plus one or more minor risk factors seemed to be candidates for postmastectomy radiotherapy.     

Lnc RNA <Emphasis Type="Italic">H19</Emphasis> is associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer patients and promotes cancer stemness

Purpose

In correlation with the nodal status in the era of modern radiotherapy, the chest wall recurrence (CWR) rate was investigated in pT1-2N0-1 breast cancer patients after a mastectomy without post-mastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT).

Methods

The data from the patients participating in two South Korean multi-institutional studies (KROG 14–22; N = 1842 and KROG 14–23; N = 1382) were analyzed. In total, 3224 pT1-2N0-1 breast cancer patients who underwent mastectomy without PMRT were analyzed.

Results

The median follow-up time was 72.2 months (range 0.8–125.2 months). The overall CWRs during the follow-up period were 1.68% in N0 patients and 2.82% in N1 patients. There was no statistically significant difference in 5-year and 10-year CWR-free survival (CWRFS) between the N0 and N1 patients. Of the 70 patients with CWR, 33 (1% of all the patients) had isolated CWR, and the 10-year overall survival rate in this group was 96.9%. After the propensity score matching of the N0 and N1 groups, there was still no difference in CWRFS by nodal status.

Conclusions

The incidence of CWR in pT1-2N0-1 breast cancer patients is very low, especially with isolated recurrence. Also, the obtained data showed that the nodal status had no impact on CWRFS.

     

Locoregional recurrence of pT3N0M0 breast cancer after mastectomy is not higher than that of pT1‐2N0M0: An analysis for radiotherapy

The purpose of this study was to investigate the value of post‐operative radiotherapy in the treatment of pT3N0M0 breast cancer after mastectomy. We analyzed the clinical data of 1390 patients with pT1‐3N0M0 breast cancer who were admitted and treated from 1998 to 2007 at the Sun Yat‐sen University Cancer Center. All patients underwent mastectomy and did not receive radiotherapy. The locoregional recurrence‐free survival, distant metastasis‐free survival and overall survival of different T stages of breast cancer were compared. The median follow‐up duration was 72 months. The 10‐year locoregional recurrence‐free survival patients with pT1N0, pT2N0 and pT3N0 breast cancers were 95.3, 91.9 and 93.6%, respectively (χ² = 2.550, P = 0.279). The 10‐year distant metastasis‐free survival rates of patients with pT1N0, pT2N0 and pT3N0 breast cancers were 88.1%, 81.0% and 78.4%, respectively (χ² = 8.254, P = 0.016). The 10‐year overall survival rates of patients with pT1N0, pT2N0 and pT3N0 breast cancers were 91.9%, 83.5% and 73.0%, respectively (χ² = 12.403, P = 0.002). Univariate analyses failed to identify any prognostic factors for locoregional recurrence in pT3N0 patients. Multivariate analysis showed that the T stage had no effect on locoregional recurrence. The locoregional recurrence rate in patients with pT3N0M0 breast cancer who underwent mastectomy and did not receive postoperative radiotherapy was not higher than that in patients with pT1‐2N0M0 breast cancer who received the same treatment, suggesting that routine adjuvant post‐operative radiotherapy should not be recommended in this patient population.     

Adjuvant Radiation Therapy for T3N0 Breast Cancer Patients Older Than 75 Years After Mastectomy: A SEER Analysis

Introduction

Breast cancer patients with tumors > 5 cm but without nodal disease who undergo mastectomy present a clinical challenge regarding the appropriate adjuvant treatment. Traditionally, postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) was the standard of care. However, recent studies have suggested local failure rates without PMRT might be low enough to omit RT. This might be especially true in the elderly.

Non-surgical treatment versus radical esophagectomy for clinical T1N0M0 esophageal carcinoma: a single-center experience

Purpose

The role of non-surgical treatments (NS), such as chemoradiotherapy or radiotherapy, for clinical T1N0M0 esophageal cancer (cT1N0M0 EC) has not been well delineated. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the feasibility and efficacy of NS and Surgical treatment (S) in cT1N0M0 EC patients.

Methods

The medical records of patients who received treatment for cT1N0M0 EC at Asan Medical Center between2003 and 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. The baseline characteristics, treatment outcomes and complications, and survival were compared.

Results

There were 264 S and 20 NS patients with respective median ages of 69.5 and 63.0. The main histologic finding was squamous cell carcinoma in both groups (97 and 100 %, respectively). The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status and Charlson comorbidity index score were poorer in the NS group. With a median follow-up of 49.0 months, 37 S patients (14 %) and 3 NS patients (15 %) exhibited recurrence. The first sites of recurrence for S and NS patients were locoregional (21 vs. 3 patients), distant (6 vs. 0), and both locoregional and distant (9 vs. 0), respectively. The median time-to-recurrence could not be calculated in either group (log-rank test P = 0.831). The estimated median overall survival was 64.4 months (95 % CI 37.2–91.6 months) in the NS group and could not be calculated in the S group (P = 0.056).

Conclusions

Non-surgical treatments can be an effective alternative to S for patients with cT1N0M0 EC unfit for radical surgery. The role of NS for early stage EC needs to be further verified with prospective randomized trials.     

Long-term outcomes of three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy combined with neoadjuvant hormonal therapy for Japanese patients with T1c-T2N0M0 prostate cancer

Background

The outcomes of three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) combined with neoadjuvant hormonal therapy (NAHT) in Japanese patients with T1c-T2N0M0 prostate cancer, with initiation of salvage hormonal therapy (SHT) at a relatively early phase, were analyzed.

Methods

Fifty-nine Japanese patients with T1c-T2N0M0 prostate cancer who received radical 3D-CRT between January 1999 and January 2003 were evaluated. The median age, initial prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, and duration of NAHT were: 72 years, 9.4 ng/ml, and 6 months, respectively. Seventy Gy was given in 35 fractions confined to the prostate ± seminal vesicles. AHT was not administered after 3D-CRT in any patients.

Results

The median follow-up period was 89 months. The median PSA value at the time of initiation of SHT was 4.7 ng/ml (range 0.1?C21.6 ng/ml). The overall, disease-specific, PSA failure-free (based on the Phoenix definition), and SHT-free survival rates at 8 years were 82.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 72.4?C93.2), 100%, 62.4% (47.1?C77.8), and 82.6% (71.3?C94.0), respectively. Only one patient developed grade 3 late toxicity.

Conclusions

The PSA control rates in our series of Japanese patients with stage T1c-T2N0M0 prostate cancer treated with the standard dose of 3D-CRT combined with NAHT seemed at least comparable to those reported from Western countries; as well, the patients had excellent outcomes. The present outcomes can be used as basic data for evaluating the impact of dose escalation with intensity-modulated radiation therapy for Japanese patients with prostate cancer in the future.     

Locoregional recurrence risk factors and the impact of postmastectomy radiotherapy on patients with tumors 5 cm or larger

Background

Locoregional recurrence (LRR) after mastectomy reduces the patient’s quality of life and survival. There is a consensus that postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) helps achieve locoregional control and reduces LRR. However, in patients with large tumors, the question of which variables affect the likelihood of LRR and the role of PMRT have been subjects of substantial controversy. This study investigated what the risk factors are for LRR and the efficacy of PMRT in this patient population.

Methods

This retrospective study examined 589 cases of invasive breast carcinoma with tumors 5 cm or larger from 1998 to 2008. We divided the study population into 3 groups: patients with negative nodes, 1–3 positive nodes, and ≥4 positive nodes. The relationship between various clinicopathological variables and LRR was examined, and the relationship between LRR and PMRT was estimated.

Results

During the median follow-up of 44.2 months, 38 (6.5 %) patients experienced LRR. In the multivariate analysis, independent risk factors for LRR included pectoral invasion in patients with 1–3 positive nodes, severity of lymphatic invasion, estrogen receptor-negative status, and a nodal ratio of positive/excised nodes >0.50 in patients with ≥4 positive nodes. In patients without positive nodes, none of the examined variables were significantly associated with LRR. Although patients treated with PMRT had good outcomes, there was no significant difference.

Conclusions

With systemic therapy and adequate lymph node dissection, PMRT by itself was of limited value in establishing locoregional control. Due to the very low incidence of LRR observed, PMRT was not necessary for patients with large tumors without lymph node metastasis. Further examination and consensus about the indications for PMRT in patients with 1–3 metastatic nodes are needed.     

Locoregional recurrence risk factors in breast cancer patients with positive axillary lymph nodes and the impact of postmastectomy radiotherapy

Background

Locoregional recurrence (LRR) after mastectomy reduces the patient’s quality of life and survival. There is a consensus that postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) helps establish locoregional control and reduces LRR in patients with ≥4 metastatic nodes. However, in patients with 1–3 metastatic nodes, the incidence of LRR and the role of PMRT have been the subject of substantial controversy. This study assessed the risk factors for LRR and the efficacy of PMRT in Japanese breast cancer patients with metastatic nodes.

Methods

This study analyzed 789 cases of invasive breast carcinoma with metastatic nodes from 1998 to 2008. We divided the study population into 4 groups: 1–3 positive nodes with/without chemotherapy and ≥4 positive nodes with/without chemotherapy. Risk factors for LRR were identified and the relationship between LRR and PMRT was analyzed.

Results

During the median follow-up of 59.6 months, 61 (7.7%) patients experienced LRR. In patients who received chemotherapy, independent LRR risk factors were high nuclear grade, severe lymphatic invasion, vascular invasion, and progesterone receptor-negative status in patients with 1–3 positive nodes, and severe lymphatic invasion and estrogen receptor-negative status in patients with ≥4 nodes. Although patients treated with PMRT had good outcomes, there was no significant difference, and PMRT did not significantly improve the outcome of the patients with all risk factors.

Conclusions

With systemic therapy and adequate dissection, PMRT by itself was of limited value in establishing locoregional control. The indication for PMRT in patients with 1–3 positive nodes remains controversial.     

Radiotherapy Can Improve the Disease‐Free Survival Rate in Triple‐Negative Breast Cancer Patients with T1–T2 Disease and One to Three Positive Lymph Nodes After Mastectomy

Purpose.

Several studies have demonstrated poor locoregional control in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), compared with other molecular subtypes of breast cancer. We sought to evaluate whether or not postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) improves locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRFS) and disease-free survival (DFS) outcomes in TNBC patients.

Methods and Materials.

Between January 2000 and July 2007, 553 TNBC patients treated with modified radical mastectomy from a single institution were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were categorized into three groups: low risk (stage T1–T2N0), intermediate risk (stage T1–T2N1), and high risk (stage T3–T4 and/or N2–N3). Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the association between PMRT and LRFS and DFS times after adjusting for other clinicopathologic covariates.

Results.

With a median follow-up of 65 months (range, 1–140 months), 51 patients (9.2%) developed locoregional recurrence and 135 patients (24.4%) experienced disease recurrence. On multivariate analysis, PMRT was associated with significantly longer LRFS and DFS times in the entire cohort. In the intermediate-risk group, PMRT was associated with a longer DFS time but not with the LRFS interval. In the high-risk group, PMRT was associated with significantly longer LRFS and DFS times.

Conclusion.

PMRT is associated with longer LRFS and DFS times in high-risk TNBC patients and a longer DFS time in intermediate-risk TNBC patients. Prospective randomized studies are needed to investigate the best locoregional treatment approaches for patients with this molecular subtype of breast cancer.     

Minimal impact of postmastectomy radiation therapy on locoregional recurrence for breast cancer patients with 1 to 3 positive lymph nodes in the modern treatment era

Introduction

Given modern treatment strategies, controversy remains regarding whether postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) is necessary for breast cancer patients with 1–3 positive axillary lymph nodes (ALN). Our aim was to assess the significance of PMRT in the modern treatment era for these patients.

Risk factors for complications among breast cancer patients treated with post-mastectomy radiotherapy and immediate tissue-expander/permanent implant reconstruction: a retrospective cohort study

Background

The use of post-mastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) following immediate breast reconstruction has increased recently, and its safety is becoming a major concern. We aimed to evaluate the complication rates of PMRT to immediate tissue-expander/permanent implant (TE/PI)-based reconstructions for breast cancer and its association with radiotherapy timing (irradiation to TE or PI).

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the cases of breast cancer patients who underwent mastectomy, immediate TE/PI reconstruction, and PMRT between January 2003 and December 2014. The rates of complications including reconstruction failure, re-operation, and infection were estimated by Kaplan–Meier analysis. The risk factors including radiotherapy timing were analyzed by log-rank test and multivariate Cox proportional hazard model.

Results

A total of 81 patients were included. Median follow-up was 32 months (range 2–120 months). Radiotherapy consisted of 50 Gy to the reconstructed breast and supraclavicular region in most cases. Total reconstruction failure, re-operation, and infection rates were 12.3, 13.6, and 11.1%, and 5-year cumulative reconstruction failure, re-operation, and infection rates were 16.7, 16.6, and 12.2%, respectively. No significant differences were observed in complication rates with respect to radiotherapy timing. In multivariate analysis, age 55 years and older was a significant risk factor for complications (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

There were no significant differences in rates of reconstruction failure, re-operation, or infection with regard to radiotherapy timing. PMRT to reconstructed breasts of older patients aged 55 years or over can be expected to result in more complications than in younger patients.

     

Locoregional recurrence and metastasis in the long-term follow-up of postmastectomy breast cancer patients with T1–T2 tumours and one to three positive lymph nodes

Introduction

In this work we want to know the long-term rates of locoregional recurrence and distant metastasis in a population of breast cancer patients with pT1–pT2 tumours and one to three positive lymph nodes who were treated with mastectomy and axillary lymphadenectomy, and to study the relationship of certain clinical and histopathological parameters to their development.

Material and methods

Ninety patients diagnosed with a breast tumour of less than 5 cm and one to three affected lymph node, and undergoing a modified radical mastectomy with axillary lymphadenectomy, were studied. The mean overall follow-up was 132 months, and the minimum follow-up for the living patients was 10 years. Locoregional recurrence and metastasis development rates were studied and clinical and pathological parameters were evaluated.

Results

We found locoregional recurrence in 22.5% of the patients, and systemic metastases in 30.3%. In the study of locoregional recurrences significant differences were found for tumour size (T2) (p=0.001) and metastasis were more frequent with extracapsular lymph node extension (p=0.02) and non-administration of chemotherapy (0.019).

Conclusions

The parameter related to the development of locoregional recurrence was tumour size (stage T2) and those related to the development of metastasis were extracapsular lymph node extension and non-administration of chemotherapy.     

A positive margin is not always an indication for radiotherapy after mastectomy in early breast cancer

OBJECTIVE: Postoperative radiotherapy is frequently employed among breast cancer patients with positive surgical margins after mastectomy but there is little evidence to support this practice. This study examined relapse and survival among women with node-negative breast cancer and positive surgical margins after mastectomy. METHODS: Among 2570 women diagnosed between 1989 and 1998 and referred to the British Columbia Cancer Agency with pathologic (p)T1-2, pN0 invasive breast cancer treated with mastectomy, 94 had positive surgical margins and formed the study cohort. Women with more established indications for postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) including T3-4 tumors or node-positive disease were excluded. Demographic, tumor, and treatment factors; relapse patterns; and Kaplan-Meier 8-year locoregional relapse-free, breast cancer-specific, and overall survival rates were compared between women who were treated with (n = 41) and without (n = 53) PMRT. RESULTS: Median follow-up time was 7.7 years. The distributions of age, histologic grade, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), estrogen receptor status, and number of axillary nodes removed were similar between the two treatment groups. Six local chest wall recurrences (6.4%), 4 regional recurrences (4.3%), and 11 distant recurrences (11.7%) were identified. Local relapse rates were 2.4% vs. 9.4% (p = 0.23), and regional relapse rates were 2.4% vs. 5.7% (p = 0.63), with and without PMRT, respectively. Trends for higher cumulative locoregional relapse (LRR) rates without PMRT were identified in the presence of age <==50 years (LRR 20% without vs. 0% with PMRT), T2 tumor size (19.2% vs. 6.9%), grade III disease (23.1% vs. 6.7%), and LVI (16.7% vs. 9.1%). Statistical significance was not demonstrated in these differences (p > 0.10), possibly because of the small number of events. In patients with age >50 years, T1 tumors, grade I/II disease, and absence of LVI, no locoregional relapse occurred even with positive margins. PMRT did not improve distant relapse, 8-year breast cancer-specific and overall survival rates. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that not all patients with node-negative breast cancer with positive margins after mastectomy require radiotherapy. Locoregional failure rates approximating 20% were observed in women with positive margins plus at least one of the following factors: age <==50 years, T2 tumor size, grade III histology, or LVI. The absolute and relative improvements in locoregional control with radiotherapy in these situations support the judicious, but not routine, use of PMRT for positive margins after mastectomy in patients with node-negative breast cancer.     

Impact of postmastectomy radiotherapy in T3N0 invasive carcinoma of the breast: a Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database analysis

BACKGROUND: Randomized trials provide evidence for improved outcomes with postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) in high-risk patients. It has been suggested that patients with T3N0 breast cancer represent a favorable subgroup for which PMRT renders little benefit. In the current study, the authors used a United States population database to evaluate PMRT in this subgroup. METHODS: The cause-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) of women with T3N0M0 breast cancer in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database after mastectomy and axillary staging from 1988 to 2002 were analyzed. Univariate analysis was performed to relate CSS with PMRT (yes vs no), tumor size (< or =7 cm vs >7 cm), grade (1 vs 2 or 3), patient age (< or =50 years vs >50 years), the number of lymph nodes dissected (< or =13 vs >13), and the era treated (1988-1997 vs 1998-2002). Multivariate analyses for CSS and OS were also performed. RESULTS: In total, 1865 women met the analysis criteria for OS; CSS data were available for 98.8% of those women. Of the women who were diagnosed during the era from 1988 to 1997, 22% received PMRT, and that rate increased to 41% during the era from 1998 to 2002. The actuarial 10-year CSS for those who received PMRT versus those who did not receive PMRT was 81.6% versus 79.8%, respectively (P = .38). PMRT was not associated with a CSS benefit in any subgroup, a finding that persisted in multivariate analyses. Women who received PMRT had an increased 10-year OS rate (70.7% vs 58.4%; P < .001) that was confined to women aged >50 years in a subgroup analysis. CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective, population-based analysis demonstrated no increase in CSS with PMRT for women with T3N0 breast cancer, lending further support to the hypothesis that T3N0 disease postmastectomy represents a favorable subset of locally advanced breast cancer. The increased OS associated with PMRT in the absence of improved CSS likely reflects patient selection in this nonrandomized dataset. Prospective evaluation of PMRT in this population subset is warranted.     

Impact of evidence-based clinical guidelines on the adoption of postmastectomy radiation in older women

BACKGROUND:

Although postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) improves survival for patients with high‐risk breast cancer, previous literature suggested that it is underused. The impact of recent clinical guidelines on PMRT use is unknown. Accordingly, the authors used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)‐Medicare cohort to determine whether the use of PMRT has increased in response to evidence‐based guidelines.

METHODS:

In total, 38,322 women aged ≥66 years who underwent mastectomy for invasive breast cancer between 1992 and 2005 were identified. Time trends in the receipt of PMRT for low‐risk (T1/T2 N0), intermediate‐risk (T1/T2 N1), and high‐risk (T3/T4 and/or N2/N3) patients were characterized. Multivariate logistic regression identified risk factors for PMRT omission.

RESULTS:

The receipt of PMRT by patients with high‐risk breast cancer increased from 36.5% (95% confidence interval, 26%‐46.9%) to 57.7% (95% confidence interval, 46.9%‐68.4%) between 1996 and 1998 with the publication of landmark clinical trials. However no further increase in PMRT use was observed between 1999 and 2005 despite publication of multiple guidelines endorsing its use; during this period, only 54.8% (2729 of 4978) of high‐risk patients received PMRT. Within this high‐risk group, patients with smaller tumors or less advanced lymph node disease were at risk for PMRT omission.

CONCLUSIONS:

After an initial increase in PMRT use in response to clinical trials, the use of PMRT did not increase further in response to guideline publication, and nearly 50% of patients with high‐risk breast cancer still do not receive PMRT. Additional research is needed to determine how clinical guidelines can be used to bridge the gap between level I evidence and clinical practice. Cancer 2011;. © 2011 American Cancer Society     

Prognostic significance of breast cancer subtype and p53 overexpression in patients with locally advanced or high-risk breast cancer treated using upfront modified radical mastectomy with or without post-mastectomy radiation therapy

Background

Although post-mastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) has shown benefits, its effects in patient subpopulations remain uncertain. Therefore, we assessed whether breast cancer subtype and p53 overexpression were associated with outcome after modified radical mastectomy (MRM), with or without PMRT.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the records of patients who underwent MRM, with or without PMRT, between January 1991 and December 2008. Patients were considered eligible if they had T3 or T4 stage disease; any T stage with N2 or N3 stage; any T or N stage with positive, close (<1?mm) resection margins; or skin, nipple, or pectoral muscle invasion. We used immunohistochemistry and/or fluorescent in situ hybridization to determine breast cancer subtypes and p53 overexpression status.

Results

We found that 104 patients were eligible, including 59 (56.7%) who underwent PMRT and 45 (43.3%) who did not. Median follow-up duration was 61.3?months (range 16.1–232.7). Overall survival (OS) was significantly longer in patients who underwent PMRT (P?=?0.029). This trend was evident in the subgroup of luminal type A breast cancer (P?=?0.017) and non-p53 overexpression (P?=?0.026) patients. However, there was no significant survival benefit from PMRT in the subgroup of triple negative (TN) breast cancer (P?=?0.528) and p53 overexpression (P?=?0.189) patients.

Conclusions

The benefit of PMRT differed among subgroups with different breast cancer subtype and p53 overexpression. More efficacious systemic treatment strategies are needed, especially in patients at high risk for distant metastasis, to obtain optimal therapeutic gain.     

The role of postoperative radiotherapy in node negative breast cancer patients with pT3-T4 disease.

AIMS: To evaluate the role of postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) in patients with pT3-T4N0M0 breast cancer. METHODS: 156 patients with T3-T4N0M0 breast cancer were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Locoregional recurrences were seen in 17 of 156 patients with a median time for development of 27 months (5.7-248.7 months). Two of 9 patients who were not treated with post-operative radiation therapy had locoregional recurrence as compared with 16 of 147 patients receiving radiotherapy. In multivariate analysis, presence of locoregional recurrence was the only significant prognostic factor for overall survival (18% vs. 86%, p<0.001, RR=9.05). The patients with a median number of dissected lymph nodes >or=10 had a significantly better locoregional disease free survival rate as compared with patients with dissected lymph nodes <10 (90% vs. 78%, p=0.04). Chest wall recurrences were clearly higher in patients without chest wall RT since 5 of 49 patients without RT had recurrences in the chest wall region while only 4 of 107 who received chest wall RT had recurrence. However receiving RT to peripherical lymphatic regions had no additional effect on reducing recurrences in these regions (5% vs. 4%). CONCLUSIONS: Due to the lack of phase III randomized trials directly addressing the role of postmastectomy radiotherapy in these stages, our series suggest that postmastectomy radiotherapy to the ipsilateral chest wall is recommended for patients with PT3N0 and T4N0 breast cancer. The need for irradiating axillary or supraclavicular region shall be neglected in patients who undergo sufficient axillary sampling.     

Accuracy of Endoscopic Ultrasound in the Diagnosis of T2N0 Esophageal Cancer

Background

Accurate staging of esophageal carcinoma (EC) is important since it directs further management. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is the best tool available in the locoregional staging of EC; however, differentiating depth of tumor invasion (T) and nodal involvement (N) can be challenging. Accurate staging is particularly important to differentiate T1-2 N0 cancers, which can proceed directly to surgical resection versus TXN1 or T3N0/1 cancers, which benefit from induction chemoradiation prior to surgery. We report the accuracy of EUS staging for cT2N0 lesions.

Patients and Interventions

Six hundred six patients underwent EUS for staging of EC between October 2003 and February 2013 by a single interventional endoscopist specially trained in endoscopic ultrasound. Thirty-eight patients were diagnosed with T2N0 tumors and underwent surgical resection without preoperative chemoradiation. EUS staging was compared to surgical pathology to evaluate accuracy. Patient follow-up was obtained from a retrospective chart review.

Results

Thirty-eight patients (34 men, mean age 65.8?±?10.5 years) with cT2N0 tumors by EUS underwent surgical resection of EC without chemoradiation after a mean of 22.4?±?13.7 days post-EUS. When compared with final pathologic outcomes, 12 (32 %) were understaged by EUS and 18 (47 %) were overstaged. Understaging occurred due to tumor depth (T) in two patients (17 %), nodal disease (N) in six (50 %), and both in four (33 %). Overstaging occurred due to pathology consistent with pT1b tumors instead of T2 tumors in all 17 cases. Based on EUS, 74 % were referred for appropriate therapy.

Conclusion

While EUS is highly accurate in staging EC, it is less accurate in staging tumors which are not on either ends of the spectrum (mucosally based or clearly transmural). In this challenging group of patients, EUS understaged EC in 32 % of cases resulting in surgical resection when neoadjuvant chemoradiation may have been beneficial. We suspect that newer generation EUS systems, which provide better imaging, will result in improved accuracy in staging this group of patients.     

Effect of younger age on survival outcomes in T1N0M0 breast cancer: A propensity score matching analysis

Purpose

We evaluated the effect of younger age on recurrence risk in Chinese women diagnosed with T1N0M0 breast cancer (BC), using propensity score matching (PSM) analysis.

Methods

We included 365 women who were diagnosed with T1N0M0 BC between 2003 and 2016, and who received surgery at our center. They were classified as younger (≤40 years) and older (>40 years). We used PSM to balance clinicopathologic characteristics between the two age groups. Survival was analyzed by the Kaplan–Meier method, before and after PSM.

Results

Over a median follow-up period of 79 months, 54 patients developed recurrences. Before PSM, younger patients had worse recurrence-free survival (RFS) than older patients. Significantly worse RFS was seen in younger patients with HER2⁺ BC compared with their older counterparts. Younger patients had higher rates of locoregional recurrence rather than metastasis, especially in the first 5 years after diagnosis. After PSM, the two age groups still significantly differed in 5-year RFS.

Conclusion

Among PSM pairs with T1N0M0 BC, with equal baselines and treatment conditions, we found that patients who presented at younger ages had worse outcomes, independently of other pathological features. Younger patients with BC may require more individualized therapy to improve their prognosis.