Influence of radiotherapy on the dose of adjuvant chemotherapy in early breast cancer

399 patients with early breast cancer were randomly allocated to treatment by either modified radical mastectomy or lumpectomy and radiotherapy. 169 had histologically involved axillary nodes and were randomised to receive either adjuvant cytotoxic chemotherapy (76 patients) or no systemic adjuvant treatment (93 patients). Chemotherapy comprised a combination of oral cyclophosphamide and intravenous methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil (CMF) for 12 cycles over one year. Patients in the mastectomy group received a significantly higher percentage of the planned chemotherapy dose compared with those in the radiotherapy group (median 85% v. 71% p less than 0.05). Patients treated with radiotherapy were more frequently nauseated and developed more severe alopecia, but these differences were not statistically significant. At median follow-up of 37 months the relapse-rate and pattern of relapse were similar in both groups of patients receiving CMF.     

Impact of adjuvant chemotherapy on cosmesis and complications in Stages I and II carcinoma of the breast treated by biopsy and radiation therapy

Cosmesis and complication rates were examined in patients with early stage carcinoma of the breast treated by biopsy and radiation therapy with and without adjuvant chemotherapy in an attempt to determine the effect of chemotherapy upon these parameters. Between April 1, 1975 and June 1, 1980, 51 patients were treated with radiation therapy and adjuvant chemotherapy (XRT + ACT) and 83 patients with radiotherapy alone (XRT). Chemotherapy usually consisted of cytoxan, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil for 6 or 12 cycles. Minimum follow-up was 36 months. Cosmetic results deteriorated with time in both groups but to a greater extent in the XRT + ACT group. At 36 months, excellent cosmetic results were obtained in 73 of the 83 patients (88%) in the XRT group compared to 37 of 51 patients (73%) in the XRT + ACT group (p = <.05). Comparison of the two treatment groups revealed that complication rates were significantly increased in the XRT + ACT group. Of the 51 patients in the XRT + ACT group, 21 patients (41%) suffered complications compared to 8 (10%) of the 83 patients in the XRT group (p = <.001). This difference in complication rates resulted primarily from an increased incidence in the XRT + ACT group of wet desquamation in the electron beam portal used to treat the internal mammary lymph nodes and a trend towards a higher incidence of spontaneous nonpathologic rib fractures, myositis and arm edema. An increased incidence of nonbreast primary cancers was not seen. Our preliminary conclusions are that adjuvant chemotherapy has a negative impact upon cosmesis and complication rates in patients being treated with definitive radiotherapy. However, cosmetic results remain satisfactory and complication rates are maintained at an acceptable level. Continued close follow-up will be required before definitive conclusions can be reached as to the overall incidence and severity of the changes noted.     

Long-term follow-up of axillary node-positive breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant tamoxifen alone: patterns of recurrence

Purpose: To determine the patterns, incidence and risk factors for local-regional recurrence in patients with Stage II and III breast cancer treated with adjuvant tamoxifen alone, without adjuvant radiation.Material and Methods: The records of patients referred to the London Regional Cancer Centre with a diagnosis of breast cancer between 1980–1989 were reviewed. During this time period, it was the policy of the institution to omit local-regional radiation to patients receiving adjuvant systemic therapy. One hundred and fifty axillary node-positive Stage II and III breast cancer patients received adjuvant tamoxifen alone without postoperative local-regional radiation; these patients form the basis of this report.Results: Median follow-up was 67 months for the entire patient group and 85 months for the living patients. During this time, 42% of patients developed a recurrence, 22% first recurred in local-regional sites. The total incidence of local-regional recurrence (including those patients who first relapsed with systemic metastases) was 30%. Of the segmental mastectomy patients, 13% had recurrences in the intact breast. Of the modified radical mastectomy patients, 10% developed chest wall recurrences. Five percent of recurrences were first in the axilla and 6% in the supraclavicular nodes. Five-year actuarial survival for the entire patient group was 79% and disease-free survival was 60%, with a median disease-free survival time of 87 months. Five-year local-regional relapse-free survival was 76%. Five-year local-regional relapse-free survival was < 76% for those patients with 4 or more positive axillary nodes, regardless of tumor size. On univariable analysis, positive resection margins, number of positive axillary nodes, menopausal status, and negative estrogen and progesterone receptors were significant for isolated local-regional recurrence. On multivariable analysis, only positive resection margins and negative receptors remained significant. In terms of regional recurrence specifically, negative estrogen and progesterone-receptor status and positive resection margins were, again, prognostically significant.Conclusions: Postmenopausal women receiving adjuvant tamoxifen who have positive resection margins, ≥ 4 positive axillary nodes and/or negative estrogen and progesterone receptors, are at higher risk of local and regional recurrence and should, therefore, receive local-regional radiation.     

T1-2N1M0期乳腺癌新辅助化疗后疗效分析及放疗选择的探讨

目的 评价T_1-2N₁M₀期乳腺癌新辅助化疗后辅助放疗对LC率的影响及地位。方法收集2005—2010年间收治的新辅助化疗患者资料,筛选出T_1-2N₁M₀人群,并对其辅助放疗的临床结果进行分析。共入组T_1-2N₁M₀患者144例,中位年龄45岁(23~72岁)。结果 术后30例(21%)获得乳腺原发灶和腋窝淋巴结pCR者均接受了辅助放疗,45例仅腋窝淋巴结阳性转阴性者中10例未接受辅助放疗,69例腋窝淋巴结转移仍为阳性者中6例未接受放疗,其余患者均接受了辅助放疗。全组中位随访时间88个月,46例复发转移(32%),其中pCR者5年LR率为3.0%。5年LR率新辅助化疗后腋窝淋巴结阳性转阴性者放疗组为7%、未放疗组为16%(P=0.181),腋窝淋巴结仍为阳性者放疗组为15.9%、未放疗组为33%(P=0.267)。全组pCR者DFS时间较非pCR者延长(P=0.017)。结论 新辅助化疗后获pCR者DFS期优于未获pCR者,获pCR患接受辅助放疗的LR率较低,腋窝淋巴结阳性转阴性者未能从术后辅助放疗中获益,而腋窝淋巴结转移仍为阳性者的LR率高,辅助放疗有获益趋势。     

Ⅰ期乳腺癌保乳手术并腋窝放疗的临床观察

目的 探讨Ⅰ期乳腺癌保乳手术时不行腋窝淋巴结清扫而术后根治性放疗的疗效.方法 回顾性分析我科136例Ⅰ期乳腺癌临床资料,其中58例行保乳手术,术中不行腋窝淋巴结清扫,术后第1天开始用CMF方案化疗6周期,术后3周开始根治性术后放疗.78例行改良根治术,术后常规放化疗.结果 保乳手术 腋窝放疗组与改良根治术组相比,二者在生存率及局部复发率上差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05),而上肢水肿及功能障碍发生率差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05).结论 Ⅰ期乳腺癌保乳手术并腋窝单纯放疗优于腋窝淋巴结清扫.     

Adjuvant chemotherapy of axillary node-negative carcinoma of the breast using doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide

One hundred fifty-six women with axillary node-negative breast cancer and primary tumors less than or equal to 5 cm in diameter (T1N0 or T2N0) were treated with a brief course of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy consisting of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide. Treatment was well tolerated and toxicity was minimal. With a median follow-up time of 58 months, there has been 1 relapse among 58 patients with T1 primary lesions and 15 relapses among 98 patients with T2 primary tumors. When compared with a matched historical control group receiving surgery alone, significant improvement was apparent in disease-free survival among the patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy. Prospective controlled trials are needed if we are to confirm this favorable experience with adjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment of women with node-negative breast cancer.     

Iridium implant treatment without external radiotherapy for operable breast cancer: a pilot study

A pilot study has been conducted to examine a new approach to the treatment of operable breast carcinoma. 27 patients with tumours measuring up to 4 cm in diameter have been treated by tumourectomy, axillary clearance and high dose iridium-192 implant (55 Gy) without any external beam radiotherapy. This enabled the entire local primary treatment of the breast carcinoma to be given in five days. The technique was compatible with adjuvant chemotherapy for those with involved axillary nodes. Local complications have been few and locoregional control has to date been satisfactory. With a relatively short median follow-up of 27 months, cosmesis was objectively rated as good or excellent in over 80% of cases and subjectively rated good/excellent in 96%. High dose brachytherapy now requires testing in a prospective clinical trial to determine whether it is as effective as standard breast conservation techniques for management of early breast cancer.     

Cosmetic results in early breast cancer treated with lumpectomy, peri-operative interstitial irradiation, and external beam radiation

Patients with operable breast cancer were treated at the University of Kansas Medical Center with lumpectomy, peri-operative interstitial Iridium, and external beam radiotherapy, and concomitant adjuvant chemotherapy in a majority of node positive cases. Examination of the cosmetic results in 85 breasts followed for at least 2 years, at a median of 41 months revealed 20% to be excellent, 44% to be very good, 24% good, 9% fair, and 4% to have poor results. In this paper cosmesis is analyzed with reference to the size of the primary, its location, age of the patient, whether the patient received adjuvant chemotherapy, and whether the regional nodes were treated. In this group of patients, the size and the site of the primary, patient's age, and whether adjuvant chemotherapy was administered or not, did not adversely affect the aesthetic outcome. Treatment of the regional nodes gave a worse mean cosmetic score compared to the group in whom only the breast was treated (37.51 vs. 58.98 respectively, p less than 0.001). Among the 11 patients with fair/poor cosmesis, all had regional nodal treatment, 7/11 had inner quadrant lesions, and 7/11 had lesions greater than T1. Further follow-up and accrual would be needed to confirm our results and affirm if other factors would change.     

Factors influencing cosmetic outcome and complication risk after conservative surgery and radiotherapy for early-stage breast carcinoma.

PURPOSE: The study was undertaken to assess the relationship among cosmesis and complications to factors related to disease presentation, surgical and radiotherapeutic technique, and adjuvant systemic therapy in conservative treatment for early-stage breast carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 1982 and 1988, 234 women with stage I/II breast carcinoma were treated with conservation therapy by a highly standardized protocol of limited excision and radiotherapy. Radiation boost and/or reexcision were determined by careful quantitation of the normal tissue margin around the primary tumor. Boosts to 20 Gy were preferentially performed with interstitial iridium-192 (192Ir) implants. Axillary node dissections were performed in all patients aged less than 70 years. Adjuvant therapy consisted of cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, (doxorubicin), and fluorouracil (CM[A]F) six to eight times for node-positive premenopausal women and tamoxifen for node-positive or -negative postmenopausal women. Median follow-up was 50 months (range, 20 to 80 months). Cosmesis was graded by defined criteria, and complications were individually scored. RESULTS: Factors found to impact cosmesis adversely were palpable tumors (P = .046), volume of breast tissue resected (P = .027), reexcision of the tumor bed (P = .01), number of radiation fields (P = .03), radiation boost (P = .01), and chest wall separation (P = .01). There was a trend toward worse cosmesis (P = .062) in patients receiving tamoxifen. Cosmesis was not adversely affected by interstitial implant in spite of a higher prescribed dose. Factors influencing complication risk were axillary node dissection (P = .02), number of lymph nodes harvested (P = .05), and chemotherapy (P = .03). CONCLUSIONS: Optimal cosmesis and minimal complication risk require careful attention to the technical details of surgery and radiotherapy. The impact of systemic therapies needs to be more thoroughly examined.     

The role of irradiation of the internal mammary lymph nodes in high-risk stage II to IIIA breast cancer patients after high-dose chemotherapy: a prospective sequential nonrandomized study.

PURPOSE: This phase II single-institution prospective, nonrandomized trial investigates high-dose adjuvant chemotherapy and locoregional radiotherapy in patients with breast cancer. We compared the outcome of patients in this study treated with radiotherapy fields including the internal mammary nodes (IMN) to a group of patients who did not receive IMN irradiation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 100 patients with high-risk stage II-III breast cancer received doxorubicin-based adjuvant chemotherapy followed by high-dose chemotherapy, stem-cell support, and locoregional radiotherapy. The radiotherapy included electron-beam irradiation to the IMN. For 20 months during the study, no electron-beam facility was available and we were unable to deliver the IMN irradiation as planned to 33 patients. The remaining 67 patients (32 treated before and 35 treated after this period) received IMN irradiation. Patients with receptor-positive tumors received tamoxifen for 5 years. RESULTS: At a median follow-up of 77 months for all of the patients, disease-free survival (DFS) was significantly prolonged in patients receiving IMN radiation compared to those without IMN radiation (73% v 52%; P =.02). A trend was seen for overall survival (OS; 78% v 64%; P =.08). Cox regression multivariate analysis found IMN radiotherapy to be significant both for DFS and OS. Estrogen receptor positivity was also significant for DFS. There was no treatment related mortality. CONCLUSION: In patients with high-risk stage II to III breast cancer, the inclusion of the IMN in the radiotherapy field was associated with a statistically significant increase in DFS and a borderline increase in OS.     

Radiotherapeutic management of primary thyroid lymphoma

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the radiotherapeutic management of 38 patients, with malignant lymphoma of the thyroid, seen at the Mayo Clinic between 1965 and 1979. There were 8 males and 30 females with ages ranging from 34 to 90 years (mean age of 65 years). A tissue diagnosis was made in all patients and tissue was available for reclassification under the "Working Formulation" in 31 of the 38 patients. Twenty-six patients had intermediate grade histology, four low grade and one indeterminate. Twenty patients were clinical Stage IE, 14 patients Stage IIE, one patient Stage IIIE, one patient Stage IV and two patients were unstaged. All patients were treated with approximately 4000 rad megavoltage irradiation (range 2400-6000 rad) to the neck only (10 patients) or neck and mediastinum (28 patients). Twenty patients received subdiaphragmatic radiotherapy and four patients received adjuvant chemotherapy. Median follow-up was 56 months with minimum follow-up of 30 months. Overall disease-free survival at five years was 59%. Of 14 patients who experienced a recurrence, 10 (71%) failed in two or more sites. The most common site of failure was in para-aortic lymph nodes. One year survival following recurrence was 29%; however, four of six patients receiving salvage therapy survived at least two years. Patients receiving radiation treatment to the neck and mediastinum and those with no gross residual disease at the initiation of radiotherapy were less likely to develop a recurrence. Patients receiving a planned break during the course of therapy did not have reduced overall disease-free survival. However, 4 of 20 patients (20%) who received split course therapy failed within the radiation fields compared to 2 of 18 patients (11%) who had no treatment break. Only 1 of 4 patients (25%) receiving adjuvant chemotherapy survived one year. Side effects of radiotherapy were minimal. We believe the radiotherapeutic management of clinical Stage IE and IIE primary thyroid lymphoma should include treatment of the neck, axillae and mediastinum to a dose of approximately 4000 rad using a continuous course technique. Additionally, gross total removal of the disease surgically may be beneficial.     

The effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on the cosmetic results after primary radiation treatment for early stage breast cancer

Breast cancer patients treated by primary radiation therapy who have positive axillary lymph nodes now typically receive adjuvant chemotherapy. In order to evaluate the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on the response of the breast to radiation treatment, we compared the cosmetic results of 49 patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy and 206 patients not treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. A variety of chemotherapy regimens were employed, most commonly a combination of cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil (CMF). The median follow-up time for all patients was 33 months. Cosmetic results were scored by the physician at each follow-up evaluation as excellent, good, and fair or poor, depending on the presence and extent of radiation-related changes in the treated breast. Patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy were less likely to have an excellent overall cosmetic result than patients who did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy. At 24 months 24% of these patients had an excellent cosmetic result compared with 64% of patients who did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy (p = 0.0002). This difference was due primarily to a shift in chemotherapy-treated patients from an excellent to a good overall cosmetic result. Breast retraction was noted to be the most frequent determinant of a fair or poor cosmetic result and was more common in patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. At 24 months, 62% of these patients had evidence of breast retraction compared with 44% of patients who did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy (p = 0.06). We conclude from this preliminary analysis that adjuvant chemotherapy modifies the response of the breast to radiation, most notably by increasing the development of retraction.     

Radiotherapy for the prevention of local-regional recurrence in high risk patients post mastectomy receiving adjuvant chemotherapy

From 1977 to 1986, 63 patients at high risk for isolated local-regional recurrence following mastectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy received post-operative radiotherapy. All patients had operable primary tumors (T_1–3a.). For entire group the mean and median number of positive nodes were 10 and 8, respectively. Radiotherapy consisted of 4500 to 5000 rad to the chest wall and regional nodes. Chemotherapy consisted of CMF ± prednisone (45 patients), CAF (16 patients), and other variable regimens (2 patients). Relapse occurred in 23 patients with only two patients experiencing an isolated local-regional recurrence. In 3 patients local-regional recurrence appeared simultaneously with or following distant metastases and in 18 patients the pattern of failure was distant metastases alone. With a median follow-up of 28 months (range 9–87 mo.), 40 patients are alive without disease, 9 are alive with disease, and 14 have died with disease. The 4-year actuarial overall survival is 67% and the 4year actuarial disease-free survival is 47%. The 4-year actuarial probability of an isolated local-regional recurrence is 5%. Complications related to the radiation included a 9% incidence of moderate to severe arm edema. This study demonstrates the ability of radiation to reduce the incidence of local-regional recurrence in a previously identified high risk group of patients and has produced encouraging survival results with minimal morbidity.     

Edema of the arm as a function of the extent of axillary surgery in patients with stage I-II carcinoma of the breast treated with primary radiotherapy

Edema of the arm can be a significant complication following treatment of breast cancer. To determine the risk of arm edema and factors associated with this risk in patients treated with primary radiotherapy, we reviewed the records of 475 women with early breast cancer treated between 1968 and 1980. During this period, the use of axillary surgery prior to radiation gradually increased, and all patients received full axillary irradiation until late in the series. Based on the surgeon's report, the extent of axillary surgery was classified as either a sampling, a lower dissection, or a full dissection. Edema of the arm was scored on clinical grounds and ranged from mild hand swelling to an increased arm circumference of 8 cm. At 6 years, the actuarial risk of developing arm edema was 8% for the entire study population. This risk was 13% for 240 patients who had axillary surgery and 4% for 235 patients not undergoing axillary surgery (p = 0.006). For patients undergoing axillary surgery, the risk of arm edema was 37% with full dissection compared to 5% with sampling (p = 0.0003), and 8% with lower dissection (p = 0.03). The risk of arm edema at 6 years was 28% if more than ten nodes were removed, and 9% if one to ten nodes were removed (p = 0.03). However, the extent of axillary dissection was stronger predictor of subsequent edema than was the number of nodes obtained. The role of axillary irradiation could not be evaluated since 91% of patients received axillary irradiation. The use of chemotherapy, the site or size of the primary tumor, clinical nodal status, patient age and weight, type of suture, the use of a drain, and subsequent local or distant failure did not appear to be significant risk factors. We conclude that the combination of full dissection and full axillary irradiation results in an unacceptably high risk of arm edema.     

Premenopausal breast cancer patients treated with conservative surgery, radiotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy have a low risk of local failure

The use of adjuvant chemotherapy in premenopausal breast cancer patients with positive nodes is now routine, but the optimal local treatment of these patients is uncertain. To determine the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on the likelihood of local recurrence as the first site of failure in premenopausal patients treated with conservative surgery (CS) and radiotherapy (RT), we examined the outcome of 74 patients treated with CS, RT, and adjuvant chemotherapy and compared it to the outcome in 192 patients treated with CS and RT alone. Adjuvant chemotherapy consisted of four or more cycles of either a doxorubicin-containing regimen or cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil. All patients were less than 50 years old, had UICC-AJCC Stage I or II breast cancer treated between 1968 and 1981, had gross excision of the primary tumor, and had a total radiation dose to the primary tumor bed of greater than or equal to 6000 cGy. Factors predicting for local recurrence, such as extensive intraductal carcinoma and age less than 35, were equivalent in the two groups. Women treated with adjuvant chemotherapy had significantly worse T- and N-stages than women treated with conservative surgery and radiotherapy alone: 61% versus 36% had T2 tumors (p = 0.0003), 34% versus 6% had clinically positive nodes (p less than 0.0001), and 97% versus 4% had pathologically positive nodes (p less than 0.0001). Despite the poorer prognosis of patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy, within 5 years of diagnosis, 4% of patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy had their initial relapse in the breast and 24% had initial failure elsewhere, compared with 15% local failure first and 14% failure elsewhere first for those treated without chemotherapy (p = 0.01). We conclude that premenopausal patients with positive nodes treated with combined modality therapy (conservative surgery, radiation therapy, and adjuvant chemotherapy) have a low risk of local recurrence as a first site of failure. These results suggest a possible interaction between radiation therapy and chemotherapy in their effects on local tumor control.     

The importance of local-regional radiotherapy with conventional or high-dose chemotherapy in the management of breast cancer patients with > or = 10 positive axillary nodes

PURPOSE: To assess the effect of local-regional radiotherapy (RT) on the outcome of breast cancer patients with > or = 10 positive axillary lymph nodes who have received modern conventional or high-dose systemic therapy. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A total of 55 women with local-regionally confined breast cancer involving 10 or more axillary nodes were treated between October 1983 and January 1996. Local-regional therapy consisted of modified radical mastectomy in 39 and breast-conserving surgery in 16. Postoperative radiotherapy was given to 44 of the 55 patients. Radiotherapy consisted of tangential fields to the chest wall or intact breast to a median dose of 50.40 Gy. A total of 86% (38 of 44) received regional nodal irradiation as follows: 35 patients received RT to the supraclavicular (SC) region and axillary midplane to a median dose of 50.40 Gy and 46.20 Gy, respectively; 3 patients received RT to the SC region without inclusion of the axilla to a median dose of 50. 40 Gy. All patients received adjuvant standard-dose systemic chemotherapy, 9 of whom received additional intensification chemotherapy followed by autologous bone-marrow transplant (ABMT) or peripheral blood stem-cell transplant (PBSC). Twenty-five patients received adjuvant tamoxifen.Results: With a median follow-up of 30 months, the crude overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) for the entire group were 67% and 53%, respectively. On univariate analysis of various clinical, pathological, and therapy-related features, radiotherapy emerged as the most important factor influencing the relapse rate. The addition of RT was significantly associated with an improved DFS (p = 0.003), specifically by prolonging the time to disease progression. The median time to failure was 61 months and 12.5 months with and without RT, respectively. Patients receiving RT also appeared to survive longer; however, the groups were not statistically different (p = 0.10). Analysis of the patterns of failure showed local-regional recurrence (LRR) as the first site of failure in 12 (22%) of 55 and distant failure in 20 (36%) of 55. Univariate results revealed both radiotherapy and tamoxifen to be significantly associated with decreased LRR rates (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.03, respectively); only RT remained independently significant on multivariate analysis.Conclusion: Local-regional radiotherapy is an essential component of the management of breast cancer patients with extensive nodal involvement, despite the use of contemporary adjuvant chemotherapy including high-dose regimens with autologous rescue. In addition to the expected improvement in LRR, radiotherapy is also associated with significantly prolonged DFS and a trend for improvement in OS.     

Impact of nodal status on indication for adjuvant treatment in clinically node negative breast cancer

We addressed the problem of the need for axillary dissection in clinicallynode-negative breast cancer by determining how the information provided by thedissection suggests a different treatment to that indicated by primary tumourcharacteristics and age alone. We examined retrospectively 260 cases ofclinically node negative early breast cancer all of whom underwent breastsurgery, radiotherapy and axillary dissection. We assigned adjuvant therapyaccording to accepted guidelines with and without consideration ofpathological node status and compared the difference. Fifty-six patients hadinvolved axillary nodes. There was no change in adjuvant chemotherapyindication for the 44 cases over 65 years. The change in indication for theremaining 216 cases was 18.5% to 6%, depending on whether noneor all of the intermediate risk patients were originally assigned chemotherapy(all were originally assigned tamoxifen).Since the trend is for most intermediate risk patients is to be assignedadjuvant chemotherapy, and since tamoxifen is anyway considered effectivetherapy for low and intermediate risk patients, we conclude that theinformation provided by axillary dissection is probably not necessary ifguidelines recommending wide application of systemic adjuvant chemotherapy areapplied. Satisfactory prognostic information can be obtained by considerationof primary tumour characteristics, while new prognostic markers are likely tofurther refine prognostic precision in the near future.     

Impact of adjuvant therapy on locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the stomach.

From 1975 to 1988, 120 consecutive patients with locally advanced (T3/T4 or N1/N2) adenocarcinoma of the stomach underwent attempted curative resection. Seventy patients were treated with surgery alone while 50 patients also received adjuvant therapy consisting of either chemotherapy (5-FU/FAM) alone, radiation therapy alone, or chemotherapy+radiation therapy. Adjuvant therapy was tolerated relatively well with only one patient experiencing a grade 3 (RTOG/EORTC) toxicity, and none experiencing grade 4/5 toxicity. In patients with T3/T4 tumors, the median survival was 10 months for surgery alone as compared to 18 months for the adjuvant treatment group, and a 5-year survival of 10% versus 24% in the adjuvant therapy group (p = .01). In patients with lymph node positive disease, the median survival was 10 months in patients treated with surgery as compared to 15 months for those treated with adjuvant therapy, and a 5-year survival of 8% for surgery alone versus 16% for the adjuvant therapy group (p = .04). Patients having both T3/T4 tumor and positive lymph nodes had a median survival of 9 months with surgery versus 13 months for the adjuvant therapy group, and a 5-year survival of 4% versus 22% (p = .03) for the adjuvant group. Seventy-four patients were evaluable for pattern of relapse. Thirty developed locoregional recurrence; 17 of 38 (45%) in the surgery alone group and 13 of 36 (36%) in the adjuvant therapy group. The improvement in local control in the adjuvant group was totally accounted for by the group receiving both chemotherapy and radiation therapy, in which the recurrence rate was 19%. Statistically significant improvement in the 2-year local control rate was limited to patients with negative surgical margins who received radiation, 93%, versus those who did not, 55% (p = 0.03). The modest improvement in survival seen in patients receiving adjuvant therapy appears to be related to improved local control. No improvement in the rate of distant failure was seen. Chemotherapeutic regimens used seem to be critical in enhancing the effects of radiation in improving local control and survival. Results may be further improved by the extended use of intraoperative radiation.     

Surgical treatment of carcinoma of the breast. V. Changes in patient population and therapeutic modalities at a metropolitan hospital (1971-1980)

This is a retrospective study of 408 patients who had mastectomy for carcinoma of the breast during 1971-1980. Over these 10 years, we have had a significant increase in Hispanic patients. Although the mean size of breast tumors among the Hispanic patients was smaller than that of our black patients, Hispanic patients are more likely to have higher numbers of positive axillary lymph nodes. Similar to the nationwide trend, over 90% of the patients had modified radical mastectomy in recent years, and adjuvant systemic chemotherapy has replaced postoperative radiotherapy for patients with axillary metastasis. Postmastectomy actuarial 5-year relapse rates of our patients with none or 1-3 positive axillary nodes were quite similar. Among patients with 1-3 positive axillary nodes, year of diagnosis and whether postoperative radiotherapy or chemotherapy was added or not did not affect disease-free probability. However, among patients who had four or more positive axillary nodes, those who were admitted after 1976 and who received systemic chemotherapy (90% had CMF) had a much lower probability of developing recurrence.     

Adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy in triple-negative breast carcinoma: A prospective randomized controlled multi-center trial

Background and purpose: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) presents a high risk breast cancer that lacks the benefit from hormone treatment, chemotherapy is the main strategy even though it exists in poor prognosis. Use of adjuvant radiation therapy, which significantly decreases breast cancer mortality, has not been well described among poor TNBC women. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy could significantly increase survival outcomes in TNBC women after mastectomy. Patients and methods: A prospective randomized controlled multi-center study was performed between February 2001 and February 2006 and comprised 681 women with triple-negative stage I–II breast cancer received mastectomy, of them, 315 cases received systemic chemotherapy alone, 366 patients received radiation after the course of chemotherapy. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated. Simultaneously local and systemic toxicity were observed. Results: After a median follow-up of 86.5 months, five-year RFS rates were 88.3% and 74.6% for adjuvant chemotherapy plus radiation and adjuvant chemotherapy alone, respectively, with significant difference between the two groups (HR 0.77 [95% CI 0.72, 0.98]; P = 0.02). Five-year OS significantly improved in adjuvant chemotherapy plus radiation group compared with chemotherapy alone (90.4% and 78.7%) (HR 0.79 [95% CI 0.74, 0.97]; P = 0.03). No severe toxicity was reported. Conclusions: Patients received standard adjuvant chemotherapy plus radiation therapy was more effective than chemotherapy alone in women with triple-negative early-stage breast cancer after mastectomy.