Salvage surgery after failure of very accelerated radiotherapy in advanced head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma

PURPOSE: To assess the efficacy and toxicity of salvage surgery for local or cervical nodal recurrence after accelerated radiotherapy for locally advanced head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). METHODS AND MATERIALS: We reviewed the medical records of the 136 patients with HNSCC who had been treated in three consecutive clinical trials at the Institut Gustave-Roussy using a very accelerated radiotherapy regimen (62 to 64 Gy with 2 daily fractions of 1.8 to 2 Gy over 3.5 weeks). Sixty-nine patients of the 136 initial patients (51%) had local or neck lymph nodes relapse, or both. RESULTS: Sixteen of these 69 patients (23%) had undergone salvage surgery for recurrence locally (n = 8) or in the cervical nodes (n = 8). All 16 had initially been diagnosed with locally advanced oropharyngeal carcinoma (T4, 11 patients; T3, 5 patients), and 13 had initially had cervical node involvement. After salvage surgery, 6 patients had had a local recurrence; 7, cervical node recurrence; and 3, distant metastasis. Thus, salvage surgery had been successful only in 3 patients. The 3- and 5-year overall actuarial survival rates were 20% and 11%, respectively. Eight patients had major postoperative wound complications, including carotid rupture in three cases. CONCLUSION: Salvage surgery for relapse after very accelerated radiotherapy for advanced HNSCC is infrequently feasible and is of limited survival benefit. It should be used only in carefully selected cases.     

The surgical management of patients following neoadjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced breast cancer

The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of surgery in patients who achieve a complete clinical response (cCR) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced breast cancer. A retrospective study of patients with either large central (T2 >30 mm, N0 or N1, M0) or locally advanced (T3, N0 or N1, M0) tumours who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery to the breast and axilla and postoperative radiotherapy. All patients had operable disease at presentation. A total of 133 patients were included. Overall, 43 (32%) patients achieved a cCR following chemotherapy. Of these, 19 patients had no pathological evidence of disease in the breast (pCR) or on imaging or core biopsy and these patients received only adjuvant radiotherapy to the breast. A further 5 patients had no pathological evidence of cancer following breast surgery. 126 patients had an axillary clearance. Increasing response to chemotherapy was related to fewer pathologically involved nodes, but 7 of 24 (29%) patients with a pCR still had evidence of axillary metastases. This is the principal conclusion of the study at the present time. The patients were followed-up for a median of 30 months (range 5–83 months) with a local recurrence rate of 3.8%. There was no difference in either distant recurrence-free or overall survival between patients experiencing a pCR and the remainder.     

Combined sequential approach in locally advanced breast cancer

Background: The interaction between primary and adjuvant chemotherapy is a crucial point in the treatment of locally advanced breast cancer.Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of a sequential treatment with primary anthracyclines and adjuvant CMF in this patient subset.Design: Prospective cohort study.Patients: Eighty-eight breast cancer patients, stage T3b-T4 abc, N0–2, M0.Results: From February 1991 to July 1994, 88 consecutive patients with locally advanced breast cancer were treated at the Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milano, with full-dose doxorubicin (75 mg/m2) or epirubicin (120 mg/m2) for three cycles followed by surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy with i.v. CMF for six cycles and local radiotherapy ± Tamoxifen. A high rate of objective responses (70%), but a low incidence of pathologic complete remission (2%), were observed following primary treatment with single-agent anthracyclines. Frequency of responses was not associated with tumor estrogen or progesterone receptors status, Mib-1 or grading. In 28 patients (32%) conservative surgery could be performed. At a median follow-up of 52 months, relapse free survival and overall survival are 52% and 62%, respectively. A multivariate analysis demonstrated a significant favorable prognosis in patients with limited nodal involvement at surgery and negative Mib-1 values. This drug sequence failed to significantly ameliorate the long term results in this unfavorable patient subset and more effective drug regimens and innovative therapeutic strategies are needed.     

Primary radiotherapy of breast cancer: treatment results in locally advanced breast cancer and in operable patients selected by positive axillary apex biopsy.

To evaluate the efficacy of radiotherapy without surgery, treatment results in patients treated for locally advanced breast cancer (n = 209) and those selected by positive axillary apex biopsy (n = 289) in the period between 1977 and 1985 have been analysed retrospectively. Treatment consisted of primary irradiation to the breast and regional lymph nodes followed by a boost to the primary breast tumour and palpable regional disease to a mean normalised total dose (NTD) of 64.7 Gy with a range of 33.4-93 Gy (2 Gy fractions, alpha/beta = 5 Gy). Adjuvant systemic treatment was given in 30% of the locally advanced and in 40% of the apex positive patients. Thirty percent of the apex positive patients had an excisional biopsy of the breast tumour. By multivariate analysis a prognostic index is constructed for locoregional control, overall survival and distant disease-free interval. Primary tumour size and clinical nodal status are independent prognostic factors for locoregional control. Based on the prognostic index for local control four different groups can be identified with 5 year local control rates varying from 47 to 86%. Patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy and patients irradiated to a NTD of 60 Gy or more had significantly better local control. For overall survival primary tumour size, clinical nodal size and age are independent prognostic factors. Patients irradiated to a NTD above 60 Gy had significantly better results. Survival according to the prognostic index for survival varies between 20 and 50% at 5 years for the four groups subdivided according to the index for survival. Primary tumour size, clinical node size and age are independent prognostic factors for distant disease-free interval. Patients treated with adjuvant hormonal therapy had significantly better results. In the four groups subdivided according to the prognostic index for distant disease-free interval results vary from 17 to 30% at 5 years.     

Prediction of outcome in locally advanced breast cancer by post-chemotherapy nodal status and baseline serum tumour markers

In spite of the apparent improvement in outcome in locally advanced breast cancer, the prognosis remains dismal in many patients. The aim of this study was to define prognostic subgroups within this heterogeneous entity. Between 1990 and 1999, 104 consecutive patients with locally advanced breast cancer were treated by a multimodality programme consisting of 4-6 courses of CAF induction chemotherapy followed by surgery, breast-conserving when feasible. In most cases, chemotherapy was then resumed, up to a total of eight courses, followed by locoregional radiation therapy. Patients with hormone receptor-positive tumours received tamoxifen (20 mg day(-1)) for 5 years. At a median follow-up of 57 months, the 5-year overall survival for the entire group and the disease-free survival for the 94 operated patients were 65% and 53%, respectively. Univariate analysis identified 10 prognostic factors of overall and disease-free survival, of which four retained significance on multivariate analysis: inflammatory breast cancer (P=0.0000, P=0.0004, respectively), baseline tumour markers (P=0.003 for both), post-chemotherapy number of involved nodes (P=0.003; P=0.017) and extracapsular spread (P=0.052; P=0.014). In conclusion, besides inflammatory features, baseline tumour markers and post-chemotherapy nodal status are strong predictors of outcome in locally advanced breast cancer.     

Locally advanced breast cancer in Saudi Arabia: high frequency of stage III in a young population

In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), breast cancer constitutes 18% of all cancers in Saudi women. Whilst locally advanced breast cancer disease is unusual in Western countries, it constitutes more than 40% of all non-metastatic breast cancer in KSA. The relative frequency of locally advanced disease among our breast cancer population and the lack of a uniform consensus in the literature about its optimal management have prompted this retrospective analysis of the medical records of patients with Stage III breast cancer patients seen at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center between 1981 and 1991. In all, 315 patients were identified. Their median age ±SD was 46±11.6 years which is distinctly different from the 60–65 years median age in industrial Western nations. Most patients were younger than 50 years (64%) and premenopausal (62%). Patients were approximately equally divided between Stage III A and Stage III B Patients received multimodality treatment, including surgery., adjuvant chemotherapy, tamoxifen, and adjuvant radiotherapy. Sixty-one patients were excluded from survival analysis as they were considered lost to follow-up. Of the remaining 254 patients, 73 (29%) were alive and disease free, and 18 patients (7%) were alive but, with evidence of the disease. The remaining 163 (64%) had died from breast cancer or its related complications. Their median overall survival (OS) was 54 months, (95%, Cl, 27 to 121 months) and the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 28.8 months (95% Cl, 14.2 to 113 months). Cox proportional hazard, model identified Stage III B and the number of positive axillary lymph nodes as poor predictors of OS and PFS. Radiotherapy was the only adjuvant modality that affected survival favourably. The prognosis of patients with Stage III disease remains poor despite the use of a multimodality approach. The overall young age of our patients may have contributed to the poor outcome. Moreover, the adverse effect of Stage III B disease (as compared with Stage III A) and axillary nodal status was evident. Whilst the favourable effect of radiotherapy on survival was demonstrated, the lack of independent efficacy of other modalities (adjuvant chemotherapy and tamoxifen) or the apparent deleterious effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy should be addressed with discretion in such retrospective analysis. Optimal management of patients with locally advanced breast cancer disease should be appraised in well designed, prospective, randomised studies.     

Biological concepts of prolonged neoadjuvant treatment plus GM-CSF in locally advanced tumors

Local treatment with surgery and radiotherapy gives unsatisfactory results in patients with locally advanced cancer. In many cases distant metastases appear shortly after the removal of the primary tumor. Selecting breast cancer as a model for locally advanced disease, we are extrapolating our findings to other solid tumors. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy has improved survival of these patients by downstaging the primary tumors allowing local treatment and early elimination of distant micrometastases. We recently reported in this journal on a study of 42 patients with locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) who received prolonged neoadjuvant chemotherapy of doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, and GM-CSF prior to surgery and postoperative radiotherapy. These results were promising and prompted us to initiate an international randomized phase III study in which either six neoadjuvant cycles or three neoadjuvant cycles plus three adjuvant cycles are being compared. In LABC patients treated with six neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy cycles, we observed a significant rise in the dendritic cell content of the axillary tumor-draining lymph nodes after therapy, associated with an encouraging disease free survival and overall survival. We hypothesize that the prolonged presence of draining lymph nodes in combination with the repeated tumor antigen release, dendritic cell recruitment, and activation may account for the observed increased survival of LABC patients. Based on our findings and the results of preclinical studies, we hypothesize that it is more effective to administer chemotherapy in an extended neoadjuvant regimen, taking advantage of the concurrent biological and immunological processes in the primary tumor and its draining lymph nodes.     

Complete axillary conversion after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced breast cancer: a step towards conserving axilla?

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to assess the clinical, sonographic and histopathological response of axillary lymph node metastasis to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced breast cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty patients with locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) with clinically palpable or sonographically detectable axillary nodes were studied. FNAC of the primary tumor and axillary nodes was done and patients were started on neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Axillary nodes were assessed clinically and sonographically for response after 3 cycles of chemotherapy. All patients underwent total mastectomy with axillary clearance and the lymph nodes in the specimen were examined for metastasis. RESULTS: 47% patients had complete clinical nodal response, while 19% showed complete sonographic response. Complete pathological nodal response was documented in 22% of patients. Ultrasonography was found to be more sensitive than clinical examination in assessing complete nodal response. 10% of the patients had complete pathological response of both primary tumor and axillary nodes. There was significant correlation between pathological response of primary tumor and lymph nodes (P=0.004). Patients with complete sonographic or clinical response were found to have no or minimal residual disease in axilla and hence axillary dissection may be avoided in them.     

Relationship of clinical and pathologic response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and outcome of locally advanced breast cancer

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced breast cancers produces histologically evaluable changes and frequently reduces the size of the primary tumor. Local clinical response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy may correlate with response of distant metastases. Therefore, clinical or pathological factors, which predict or assess response to treatment, may predict outcome after consideration for initial extent of disease. METHODS: To identify pretreatment characteristics of locally advanced breast cancers which predict clinical and pathologic response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy as well as survival and to assess the utility of postoperative histologic changes, we retrospectively studied one hundred forty-four patients with locally advanced breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy between January 1975 and July 1996. Patients were identified through pathology records of the Mount Sinai Medical Center and via one of the author's clinical databases. Pathologic and clinical responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy were correlated with survival. Stepwise logistic regression was used to identify variables most significantly related to clinical response and pathologic axillary lymph node involvement. RESULTS: Complete clinical response with no palpable tumor was noted in 7/86 patients (8%) and complete pathologic response was achieved in 18/138 patients (13%). Both clinical (P = 0.038) and pathologic response (P = 0.011) were related to tumor size at the time of diagnosis: smaller tumors were more likely to respond to chemotherapy than larger tumors. Histologic evidence of chemotherapeutic effect, i.e., cytoplasmic vacuolization, change in the number of mitoses and localized fibrosis in lymph nodes did not correlate with clinical or pathologically measured response. Clinical and pathologic response was not associated with age, histology, differentiation, or type of chemotherapy. No residual tumor was found in the axillary nodes of 27% (37) of the patients. Age and complete pathologic response were the only variables significantly related to pathologic nodal status. Eighty-four percent of the 61 patients under 50 years of age had nodal involvement compared to 65% of older patients (P = 0.014). Fifty percent of complete pathologic responders had positive axillary lymph nodes compared to 76% of patients who did not have a complete pathologic response (P = 0.020). Distant disease-free (P = 0.039) and overall survival (P = 0.035) were related to the number of involved axillary lymph nodes. After consideration for pathologic lymph node status, no other variable was significantly related to distant disease-free or overall survival in multivariate analysis. No variable was significantly related to local disease-free survival. Age, clinical tumor size, clinical lymph node status, clinical response, type of chemotherapy, histology, differentiation, chemotherapy effects on primary tumor and lymph nodes, decline in the number of mitoses, and degree of fibrosis in nodes were not predictive of distant recurrence or overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: This study of patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced breast cancers found little evidence that measurable clinical or pathologic changes attributable to chemotherapy predicted survival. Axillary lymph node status, associated with young age, was the most important prognostic indicator in these patients.     

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Locally Advanced Breast Cancer in a Malaysian Tertiary Hospital

Introduction: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced breast cancer is given with the aim of shrinkingthe disease sufficiently for surgery. However, many clinical trials investigating neoadjuvant chemotherapyregimens were conducted for operable breast cancer. Methods and Materials: Patients with T3-4, N2 M0 breastcancer diagnosed between January 2005 and December 2008 and who received at least one cycle of neoadjuvantchemotherapy were eligible for this study. Thirty-four patients were identified from the Chemotherapy DaycareRecords and their medical records were reviewed retrospectively. The neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimenadministered was at the discretion of the treating oncologist. Breast tumour size and nodal status was assessedat diagnosis, at each cycle and before surgery. Results: All 34 patients had invasive ductal cancer. The medianage was 52 years (range 27-69). 65% had T4 disease and 76% were clinically lymph node positive at diagnosis.The median size of the breast tumour at presentation was 80 mm (range 42-200 mm). Estrogen and progesteronereceptor positivity was seen in less than 40% and HER2 positivity, by immunohistochemistry, in 27%. Themajority (85%) of patients had anthracycline based chemotherapy, without taxanes. The overall response rate(clinical CR+PR) was 67.6% and pathological complete responses were apparent in two (5.9%). 17.6% ofpatients defaulted part of their planned treatment. Recurrent disease was seen in 44.1% and the median time torelapse was 11.3 months. The three year disease free and overall survival rates were 52.5% and 58% respectively.Conclusion: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced breast cancer in a Malaysian setting confersresponse and pCR rates comparable to published clinical trials. Patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapyare at risk of defaulting part of their treatment and therefore their concerns need to be identified proactivelyand addressed in order to improve outcomes.     

Elective nodal irradiation (ENI) vs. involved field radiotherapy (IFRT) for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): A comparative analysis of toxicities and clinical outcomes

Background

Elective nodal irradiation (ENI) and involved field radiotherapy (IFRT) are definitive radiotherapeutic approaches used to treat patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). ENI delivers prophylactic radiation to clinically uninvolved lymph nodes, while IFRT only targets identifiable gross nodal disease. Because clinically uninvolved nodal stations may harbor microscopic disease, IFRT raises concerns for increased nodal failures. This retrospective cohort analysis evaluates failure rates and treatment-related toxicities in patients treated at a single institution with ENI and IFRT.

Methods

We assessed all patients with stage III locally advanced or stage IV oligometastatic NSCLC treated with definitive radiotherapy from 2003 to 2008. Each physician consistently treated with either ENI or IFRT, based on their treatment philosophy.

Results

Of the 108 consecutive patients assessed (60 ENI vs. 48 IFRT), 10 patients had stage IV disease and 95 patients received chemotherapy. The median follow-up time for survivors was 18.9 months. On multivariable logistic regression analysis, patients treated with IFRT demonstrated a significantly lower risk of high grade esophagitis (Odds ratio: 0.31, p = 0.036). The differences in 2-year local control (39.2% vs. 59.6%), elective nodal control (84.3% vs. 84.3%), distant control (47.7% vs. 52.7%) and overall survival (40.1% vs. 43.7%) rates were not statistically significant between ENI vs. IFRT.

Conclusions

Nodal failure rates in clinically uninvolved nodal stations were not increased with IFRT when compared to ENI. IFRT also resulted in significantly decreased esophageal toxicity, suggesting that IFRT may allow for integration of concurrent systemic chemotherapy in a greater proportion of patients.     

The prognostic significance of late local recurrence after breast-conserving therapy

Of 178 local recurrences occurring in 1593 patients with clinical Stages I-II breast cancer treated by conservative surgery and megavoltage radiotherapy, 71 were diagnosed after the 5th year. Compared with recurrences occurring prior to 60 months, late recurrences were less frequently inoperable (1/71, 1.4%, versus 18/107, 17%, p less than 0.001), were more often located at a distance from the initial primary tumor (23/71, 32%, versus 15/106, 14%, p less than 0.005), and had a more favorable prognosis (5-year survival 84% versus 61% for late and early operable recurrences, respectively, p = 0.05). Five-year metastasis-free survival after late failure depended mainly on the anatomic extent of the recurrence (87% for recurrences apparently confined to the breast versus 34% for relapses involving the axilla, p less than 0.002). Prognosis of late recurrence appeared to be unaffected both by location of the recurrence within the breast and by the type of salvage operation used (mastectomy versus wide excision). Local-regional control after salvage surgery was satisfactory (89% at 5 years). Whereas recurrence in the breast prior to 5 years profoundly affected survival after initial diagnosis, patients with late failure had identical 15-year survival as other 5-year survivors who never failed locally. Late recurrences were more frequent in patients younger than 40 at initial treatment, and in patients who had inadequate radiotherapy. We conclude that late local recurrences after breast conservation do not represent a serious management problem.     

Surgical treatment of locally recurrent rectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: The aim of our study was to analyse data of patients treated by salvage surgery for locally recurrent rectal cancer, with emphasis on the question whether salvage surgery is still worthwhile when adjuvant radiotherapy is no longer a treatment option. METHODS: Forty patients (19 males/21 females) treated by surgery with curative intent for locally recurrent rectal carcinoma were analysed. Local recurrence was defined as cancer recurrence within the lower pelvis. Salvage surgery included abdominoperineal resection, abdominosacral resection, exenteration (posterior or total) and local resection. Clinical and pathological factors were analysed to identify prognostic factors for survival. RESULTS: The median overall survival was 25 months (95% CI: 13-37 months) and 5-year survival was 28% (95% CI: 12-45%). The absence of symptoms at the time of recurrence, central localisation and the absence of microscopic involvement of surgical margins, but not additional radiotherapy, were found to be significant independent prognostic factors for better survival after salvage surgery. CONCLUSION: Salvage surgery, alone or in combination with radiotherapy, can achieve radical resection of locally recurrent rectal cancer and can result in long-term survival.     

Radiation Treatment in Pathologic N0-N1 Patients Treated with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Followed by Surgery for Locally Advanced Breast Cancer

Purpose

This study evaluated the treatment results and the necessity to irradiate the supraclavicular lymph node (SCN) region in pathological N0-N1 (pN0-N1) patients with locally advanced breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by surgery and radiotherapy (RT).

Methods

Between 1996 and 2008, 184 patients with initial tumor size >5 cm or clinically positive lymph nodes were treated with NAC followed by surgery and RT. Among these patients, we retrospectively reviewed 98 patients with pN0-N1. Mastectomy was performed in 55%. The pathological lymph node stage was N0 in 49% and N1 in 51%. All patients received adjuvant RT to chest wall or breast and 56 patients (57%) also received RT to the SCN region (SCNRT).

Results

At 5 years, locoregional recurrence (LRR)-free survival, distant metastasis-free survival, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival rates were 93%, 83%, 81%, and 91%, respectively. In pN0 patients, LRR was 7% in SCNRT- group and 5% in SCNRT+ group. In pN1 patients, LRR was 7% in SCNRT- group and 6% in SCNRT+ group. There was no significant difference of LRR, regardless of SCNRT. However, in pN1 patients, there were more patients with poor prognostic factors in the SCNRT+ group compared to SCNRT- group. These factors might be associated with worse DFS in the SCNRT+ group, even though RT was administered to the SCN region.

Conclusion

Our study showed the similar LRR, regardless of SCNRT in pN0-pN1 breast cancer patients after NAC followed by surgery. Prospective randomized trial is called for to validate the role of SCNRT.     

Locally advanced breast cancer: radiotherapy alone versus surgery and radiotherapy

From 1976 through 1984 46 patients with locally advanced breast cancer were treated by either radiotherapy alone or by combination of surgery and postoperative radiotherapy. Eleven of the 21 patients treated by radiotherapy alone had a local or regional recurrence, while no recurrences occurred in the combined treatment group. From this study it was concluded that "locally advanced" breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease and that further study concerning the role of surgery is justifiable for a selected subgroup of patients with non-inflammatory resectable tumours (meeting the criteria of "locally advanced" breast cancer).     

Primary radiotherapy with surgery in reserve for advanced laryngeal carcinoma. Results and complications

A retrospective study of a selected group of 58 patients with T3 and T4 squamous cell carcinomas of the larynx presenting between 1974 and 1984 was undertaken. These patients were treated primarily with radical radiotherapy and salvage surgery in reserve. The aim of this study was to examine survival, recurrence rate and the complications after salvage surgery. In 30 patients the tumor was classified as a T3 and in 28 as a T4. In 14 patients (24%) nodal disease in the neck was present prior to the radiotherapy. Follow-up in all patients continued for at least 3 years or until death. Nineteen patients (33%) developed locally recurrent tumor and five (9%) developed nodal metastases to the neck. The recurrence in almost every patient was detected within 2 years after completion of the irradiation. Thirty patients (52%) are alive of whom 29 have no evidence of disease. Of these 30 patients 22 (73%) have their larynx intact and functioning. The 5-year adjusted acturial survival for the whole group of patients is 73%, for the T3N0 group 87% and for the T4N0 group 75%. Patients with nodal disease responded poorly. After salvage surgery severe postoperative complications developed in 37% of the patients. There were no deaths following salvage surgery.     

局部晚期乳腺癌新辅助放疗研究进展

乳腺癌发病率居世界女性癌症发病率首位,随着医学技术的进步,乳腺癌患者总生存率得到了提高,但是局部晚期乳腺癌的治疗仍然是棘手的临床问题。对于局部晚期乳腺癌,术后辅助放疗是常规治疗手段,而新辅助放疗在局部晚期乳腺癌治疗中地位尚不明确,本文综述局部晚期乳腺癌新辅助放疗的相关研究进展,希望为局部晚期乳腺癌的治疗提供参考。     

Carcinoma of the larynx

Six hundred sixty-eight patients with tumours of the larynx were treated by radiotherapy. The patients had stage T1 N0 M0 to T4 N3 M0 disease. Patients with T1 N0 M0 disease (273) had an excellent long-term survival (90%) as did those with T2 N0 M0 disease (142), whose 5-year survival was 70%. Patients with more advanced disease but no nodal spread did not respond as readily to radiotherapy; the 5-year survival was 40%. All patients were treated using a parallel pair set-up 6 X 6 cm lateral neck fields. A more aggressive radiotherapy regime to a larger tissue volume to include microscopic spread to lymph nodes may improve survival of locally advanced disease.     

Locally advanced breast carcinoma: results with combined regional therapy

To define optimal regional treatment as initial management of locally advanced (Stage III & IV) breast cancer, 509 patients treated from 1966-1982 were reviewed. All patients received comprehensive postoperative irradiation of the peripheral lymphatics and chest wall, following surgical procedures varying from incisional biopsy to classical radical mastectomy. Patients were followed from 1 to over 16 years. The survival rate at 5 and 10 years for the entire series is 41% and 26%. Fifty-eight patients having radical surgery for T3 tumors and subsequently found to have negative axillary lymph nodes showed the highest rates of survival, 72% at 5 years and 57% at 10 years. This was significantly better (p less than .01) than patients with T3N+ disease, (5 year survival 44%; 10 year, 29%) and T4N+ disease (44%, 39%). Four hundred seventy patients with non-inflammatory carcinoma and no supraclavicular metastases were considered technically resectable. Three hundred eighty-one of these patients underwent a definitive surgical procedure removing all gross cancer prior to irradiation and, as expected, showed higher rates of local disease control than patients having lesser surgery (79% versus 45%, p less than .01). These patients also showed markedly better rates of survival and relapse-free survival with 50% alive and 38% disease free, versus 14 and 8%, at 5 years (p less than .01). There were no 10 year survivors among the 89 technically resectable patients having less than total gross resection. Long term relapse-free survival of locally advanced breast cancer can be achieved with aggressive combined local-regional therapy. Total resection of all gross cancer prior to irradiation is recommended. Modifications of postoperative radiation therapy techniques are suggested to further improve local control rates for these advanced tumors. This large series provides a baseline for evaluation of current programs adding adjuvant systemic therapy to regional treatment.