Five-year results of a randomized clinical trial comparing total mastectomy and segmental mastectomy with or without radiation in the treatment of breast cancer

Surgery for Men with Breast Cancer: Do the Same Data Still Apply?

BACKGROUND

Men represent a small proportion of breast cancer diagnoses, and they are often excluded from clinical trials. Current treatments are largely extrapolated from evidence in women. We compare practice patterns between men and women with breast cancer following the publication of several landmark clinical trials in surgery.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with invasive breast cancer (2004-2015) from the National Cancer Data Base were identified; subcohorts were created based on eligibility for NSABP-B06, CALGB 9343, and ACOSOG Z0011. Practice patterns were stratified by gender and compared. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were utilized to estimate the association between OS and gender.

RESULTS

Of the 1,664,746 patients identified, 99% were women and 1% were men. Among NSABP-B06 eligible men, mastectomy rates did not change (consistently ~ 80%), and their adjusted OS was minimally worse compared with women (HR 1.19, 95% CI 1.11-1.28). Following publication of CALGB 9343, omission of radiation after lumpectomy was less likely in men and lagged behind that of women, despite similar OS (male HR 0.92, 95% CI 0.59-1.44). Application of ACOSOG Z0011 findings resulted in deescalation of axillary surgery for men and women with comparable OS (male HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.33-1.45).

CONCLUSIONS

Uptake of clinical trial results for men with breast cancer often mirrors that for women, despite exclusion from these studies. Furthermore, when study findings were applied to eligible patients, men and women demonstrated similar survival. Observational studies can help inform the potential application of study findings to this unique population and improve patient enrollment in clinical trials.

Accelerated partial breast irradiation by brachytherapy: present evidence and future developments

Accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) delivers a short course of adjuvant RT after breast conserving surgery to only a limited part of the breast where the tumor was located. This procedure requires expertise, good communication, and close collaboration between specialized surgeons and attending radiation oncologists with adequate intraoperative tumor bed clip marking. However, APBI offers several intrinsic benefits when compared with whole breast irradiation (WBIR) including reduced treatment time (1 versus 4-6 weeks) and better sparing of surrounding healthy tissues. The present publication reviews the APBI level 1-evidence provided with various radiation techniques supplemented by long-term experience obtained from large multi-institutional phase II studies. Additionally, it offers an outlook on recent research with ultra-short or single-fraction APBI courses and new brachytherapy sources. Mature data from three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) clearly prove the noninferiority of APBI with 'only two techniques-1/MIBT (multicatheter interstitial brachytherapy) (two trials) and 2/intensity modulated radiotherapy (one trial)'-in terms of equivalent local control/overall survival to the previous standard 'conventionally fractionated WBIR'. However, MIBT-APBI techniques were superior in both toxicity and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) versus WBIR at long-term follow-up. Currently, in RCT-setting, alternative APBI techniques such as intraoperative electrons, 50-kV x-rays and three-dimensional conformal external beam radiotherapy (3D-CRT) failed to demonstrate noninferiority to conventionally fractionated WBIR. However, 3D-CRT-APBI compared noninferior to hypo-fractionated WBIR in preventing ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (randomized RAPID-trial) but was associated with a higher rate of late radiation toxicity. Ultimately, MIBT remains the only APBI modality with noninferior survival/superior toxicity/PROs at 10-years and therefore should be prioritized over alternative methods in patients with breast cancer considered at low-risk for local recurrence according to recent international guidelines.

Analysis of Utility Assessment Scores to Objectify the Health Burden Caused by Breast Conservation Therapy

Background

Lumpectomy followed by radiation, known as breast conservation therapy (BCT), is a viable surgical treatment option for early-stage breast cancer. However, the current literature suggests that patients prefer mastectomy over BCT, likely due to the wide variety of postmastectomy reconstructive options. Our aim is to investigate the objective health burden of living with BCT to help surgeons gain a better understanding of patient treatment preferences.

Methods

Three validated health state utility tools were used to objectify the burden of living with post-BCT results: visual analogue scale (VAS), time trade-off (TTO), and standard gamble (SG). A prospective sample of the general population and medical students were recruited, and their responses analyzed to attain these scores.

Results

Utility scores for living with BCT are VAS 0.81 ± 0.19, TTO 0.93 ± 0.10, and SG 0.92 ± 0.14. The TTO and SG suggest a willingness to trade 2.5 years of life years and an 8% chance of death undergoing reconstructive procedures to correct a BCT defect, respectively. Age, gender, race, education, and income were not statistically significant independent predictors for higher or lower utility scores.

Conclusion

The impact of the health burden of BCT was ascertained using validated objective numeric utility scores. These indices demonstrate a willingness to trade less life years to undergo correction of a BCT defect than reconstruction following unilateral mastectomy. They can provide surgeons with the best objective understanding of patient preferences for shared decision-making in the management of breast cancer.

Breast-contour preserving procedures for early-stage breast cancer: a population-based study of the trends, variation in practice and predictive characteristics in Denmark and the Netherlands

PURPOSE

Breast-contour preservation (BCP) is possible for most women treated for early-stage breast cancer. BCP can be defined as primary breast-conserving treatment (BCT), neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by BCT and immediate postmastectomy breast reconstruction (IBR). This study provides insight in current BCP strategies in Denmark and the Netherlands and aims to identify opportunities for improvement within both countries.

METHODS

A total of 92,881 patients with early-stage breast cancer who were operated in Denmark and the Netherlands between 2012 and 2017 were selected from the Danish Breast Cancer Group and the Dutch National Breast Cancer Audit databases. BCP procedures and predictive factors were analyzed within and between both countries.

RESULTS

BCP was achieved in 76.7% (n = 16,355) of the Danish and in 74.5% (n = 53,328) of the Dutch patients. While BCP rate did not change significantly over time in Denmark (p = 0.250), a significant increase in BCP rate from 69.5% in 2012 to 78.5% in 2017 (p < 0.001) was observed in the Netherlands. In both countries, variation in BCP rates between hospitals decreased over time. NAC followed by BCT and postmastectomy IBR was substantially more often used in the Netherlands compared to Denmark, specifically in patients younger than 50 years.

CONCLUSIONS

In more than 75% of all Danish and Dutch patients, surgically treated for early-stage breast cancer, the breast-contour was preserved. The different use of BCP strategies within Denmark and the Netherlands and the differences observed between hospitals in both countries emphasize the need for more (inter)national consensus on treatment modalities.

Breast Conserving Surgery Compared With Mastectomy in Male Breast Cancer: A Brief Systematic Review

The surgical guidelines for male breast cancer (MBC) have been largely guided by female-predominant clinical trials. Because no clinical trial has been conducted to examine the surgical treatment of MBC, we performed a systematic review comparing the survival of patients with MBC who had undergone breast conserving surgery (BCS) and those who had undergone mastectomy and evaluated the patients' radiotherapy compliance after BCS. We performed a systematic search of electronic databases to find MBC cohort studies that had reported ≥ 1 survival outcome (disease-free survival [DFS], disease-specific survival [DSS], or overall survival [OS]) stratified by surgical treatment (BCS and/or mastectomy) and/or radiotherapy compliance with BCS. A total of 1 prospective and 9 retrospective cohort studies were included, with the number of patients ranging from 7 to 6039. Of the BCS patients, compliance with postoperative radiotherapy was low (range, 27%-46%), with the exception of 1 single-institution prospective study that reported 86% compliance (6 of 7 patients). The pooled estimate for all patients with MBC was 83% (95% confidence interval [CI], 78%-88%) for 5-year DSS and 66% (95% CI, 63%-70%) for 5-year OS. Most studies reported no differences in DFS, DSS, or OS for BCS and mastectomy. BCS is a reasonable treatment approach for MBC because it was associated with oncologic outcomes similar to those with mastectomy. However, the low rates of radiotherapy compliance among male patients who underwent BCS is concerning and highlights the importance of shared decision-making with patients with MBC when selecting a surgical treatment strategy.

Association between waiting time for radiotherapy after surgery for early-stage breast cancer and survival outcomes in Ontario: a population-based outcomes study

Background

After surgery for early-stage breast cancer (bca), adjuvant radiotherapy (rt) decreases the risk of locoregional recurrence and death from bca. It is unclear whether delays to the initiation of adjuvant rt are associated with inferior survival outcomes.

Methods

This population-based retrospective cohort study included a random sample of 25% of all women with stage i or ii bca treated with adjuvant rt in Ontario between 1 September 2001 and 31 August 2002, when, because of capacity issues, wait times for radiation were abnormally long. Pathology reports were manually abstracted and deterministically linked to population-level administrative databases to obtain information about recurrence and survival outcomes. Cox proportional hazards modelling was used to evaluate the association between waiting time and survival outcomes. A composite survival outcome was used to ensure that all possible measurable harms of delay would be captured. The composite outcome, event-free survival, included locoregional recurrence, development of metastatic disease, and bca-specific mortality.

Results

We identified 1028 women with stage i or ii bca who were treated with breast-conserving surgery and adjuvant rt. For the 599 women who were treated with adjuvant radiation without intervening chemotherapy, a waiting time of 12 weeks or more from surgery to the start of radiation appeared to be associated with worse event-free survival after a median follow-up of 7.2 years (hazard ratio for the composite outcome: 1.44; 95% confidence interval: 0.98 to 2.11; p = 0.07). For the 429 women who received intervening adjuvant chemotherapy, a waiting time of 6 weeks or more from completion of chemotherapy to start of radiation was associated with worse event-free survival after a median follow-up of 7.4 years (hazard ratio: 1.50; 95% confidence interval: 1.00 to 2.22; p = 0.047).

Conclusions

Delay to the initiation of adjuvant rt after breast-conserving surgery is associated with inferior bca survival outcomes. The good prognosis for patients with early-stage bca limits the statistical power to detect an effect of delay to rt. Given that there is no plausible advantage to delay, we agree with Mackillop that time to initiation of rt should be kept "as short as reasonably achievable."

Impact on Health-Related Quality of Life of Parenteral Nutrition for Patients with Advanced Cancer Cachexia: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Malnutrition worsens health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and the prognosis of patients with advanced cancer. This study aimed to assess the clinical benefits of parenteral nutrition (PN) over oral feeding (OF) for patients with advanced cancer cachexia and without intestinal impairment.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In this prospective multicentric randomized controlled study, patients with advanced cancer and malnutrition were randomly assigned to optimized nutritional care with or without supplemental PN. Zelen's method was used for randomization to facilitate inclusions. Nutritional and performance status and HRQoL using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C15-PAL questionnaire were evaluated at baseline and monthly until death. Primary endpoint was HRQoL deterioration-free survival (DFS) defined as a definitive deterioration of ≥10 points compared with baseline, or death.

RESULTS

Among the 148 randomized patients, 48 patients were in the experimental arm with PN, 63 patients were in the control arm with OF only, and 37 patients were not included because of early withdrawal or refused consent. In an intent to treat analysis, there was no difference in HRQoL DFS between the PN arm or OF arm for the three targeted dimensions: global health (hazard ratio [HR], 1.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.88-1.94; p = .18), physical functioning (HR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.06-2.35; p = .024), and fatigue (HR, 1.19; 95% CI, 0.80-1.77; p = .40); there was a negative trend for overall survival among patients in the PN arm. In as treated analysis, serious adverse events (mainly infectious) were more frequent in the PN arm than in the OF arm (p = .01).

CONCLUSION

PN improved neither HRQoL nor survival and induced more serious adverse events than OF among patients with advanced cancer and malnutrition. Clinical trial identification number. NCT02151214 IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: This clinical trial showed that parenteral nutrition improved neither quality of life nor survival and generated more serious adverse events than oral feeding only among patients with advanced cancer cachexia and no intestinal impairment. Parenteral nutrition should not be prescribed for patients with advanced cancer, cachexia, and no intestinal failure when life expectancy is shorter than 3 months. Further studies are needed to assess the useful period with a potential benefit of artificial nutrition for patients with advanced cancer.

Breast conservation therapy confers survival and distant recurrence advantage over mastectomy for stage II Triple Negative Breast cancer

INTRODUCTION

Recent studies suggest survival benefit of breast conservation over mastectomy. We evaluated distant recurrence (DR) rates after breast-conservation therapy (BCT) versus mastectomy in our community-based cancer institute.

METHODS

A retrospective review of patients undergoing treatment of Stage 0-3 breast cancer from January, 2002 to December, 2011 was performed. We evaluated outcomes between those having BCT versus mastectomy.

RESULTS

We reviewed 4876 patients. There was no significant difference in DR between patients undergoing BCT versus mastectomy in DCIS (n = 904; BCS 521, mastectomy 383; DR = 1/521 vs 1/383; p = 0.09), Stage I (n = 2202; BCT 1505, mastectomy 697; DR = 6/1505 vs 17/697; p = 0.98) or Stage III cancer (n = 417; BCT 87, mastectomy 330; DR = 17/87 vs 59/330; p = 0.50). There was significantly less DR in Stage II patients (n = 1353) undergoing BCT vs mastectomy (32/645 vs 64/708; p = 0.003). Subgroup analysis of Stage II TNBC (n = 198) subgroup analysis showed 104 mastectomy and 94 BCT patients. Those in the BCT group had significantly lower rates of DR (6/94 vs 16/104; p= 0.03) and significantly higher survival (81/94 vs 69/104; p = 0.007) than those undergoing mastectomy. Of Stage II TNBC patients with DR there was no difference in age, lymph node status or tumor size (p > 0.05 for all) in BCT versus mastectomy groups; there was a significant difference in radiation status (94/94 vs. 28/104; p < 0.0001). Radiation was associated with worse outcomes in the mastectomy group (HR 2.32; p = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

We found significantly less DR in Stage II patients undergoing BCT vs mastectomy. This benefit includes a survival advantage in patients with TNBC undergoing BCT. We could not identify an explanatory factor. Until the difference is understood eligible patients with TNBC should be encouraged to undergo BCT.

Radiological, dosimetric and mechanical properties of a deformable breast phantom for radiation therapy and surgical applications

The displacement of tumor bed walls during oncoplastic breast surgery (OBS) decreases the accuracy of using surgical clips as the sole surrogate for tumor bed location. This highlights the need for better communication of OBS techniques to radiation oncologists. To facilitate OBS practice and investigate clip placement reliability, a realistic silicone-based breast phantom was constructed with components emulating a breast parenchyma, epidermis, areola, nipple, chest wall, and a tumor. OBS was performed on the phantom and surgical clips were placed to mark the tumor bed. The phantom was imaged with CT, MRI, and ultrasound (US). The parenchyma's signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and clips to parenchyma's contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were measured. The phantom's CT Hounsfield Unit (HU), relative electron density (RED), and mass density were determined. 6 and 10 MV photon beam attenuation measurements were performed in phantom material. The Young's Modulus and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of the phantom parenchyma and epidermis were measured. Results showed that the breast phantom components were visible on all imaging modalities with adequate SNR and CNR. The phantom's HU is 130 ± 10. The RED is 0.983. Its mass density is 1.01 ± 0.01 g cm^-3. Photon attenuation measurements in phantom material were within 1% of those in water. The Young's Moduli were 13.4 ± 4.2 kPa (mechanical) and 30.2 ± 4.1 kPa (US elastography) for the phantom parenchyma. The UTS' were 0.05 ± 0.01 MPa (parenchyma) and 0.23 ± 0.12 MPa (epidermis). We conclude that the phantom's imaging characteristics resemble a fibroglandular breast's and allow clear visualization of high-density markers used in radiation therapy. The phantom material is suitable for dose measurements in MV photon beams. Mechanical results confirmed the phantom's similarity to breast tissue. The phantom enables investigation of surgical clip displacements pre- and post-OBS, and is useful for radiation therapy quality assurance applications.

The impact of radiation on lymphedema: a review of the literature

Radiation therapy (RT) is a common adjunct therapy in oncology. However, it carries a significant risk of lymphedema when utilized in some anatomic locations. Recent studies have provided insight into lymphedema pathophysiology, diagnostic techniques, and RT. This review will examine the role of RT in upper and lower extremity lymphedema. Radiation's role in increasing the risk of lymphedema through decreased lymphatic proliferation potential, interstitial fibrosis compressing lymphatic vessels, and mechanical insufficiency of the lymphatic system will be reviewed.

Saving the Breast Saves the Lives of Breast Cancer Patients

Introduction. Surgery has been known as the procedure of choice for breast cancer management since 1700 years before Christ. Nowadays, breast-conserving surgery and mastectomy are performed in selected cases with specific clinical criteria. Here, we compare these two procedures for breast cancer patients with variable features in Cancer Research Center, Tehran, as a single institution experience.

Omission of postoperative radiation after breast conserving surgery: A progressive paradigm shift towards precision medicine

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Post-operative radiotherapy is standard after breast conservation in early breast cancer.

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To de-escalate the treatment burden, indentifying a subset at very low risk of relapse is crucial.

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Clinical and pathological factors are important, but can be integrated with genomic signatures.

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Ongoing trials will provide evidence on patients at low risk for radiotherapy omission.

Radiation therapy is a standard therapeutic option in the post-operative setting for early breast cancer patients after breast conserving surgery, providing a substantial benefit in reducing the risk of local relapse with a consequent survival gain. Nevertheless, the reduction in the burden related to treatment is becoming crucial in modern oncology for both local and systemic therapies and investigational efforts are being put forward by radiations oncologists to identify a subset of women at very low risk to be potentially omitted from post-operative irradiation after breast conservation. Clinical factors, classical pathological parameters and new predictive scores derived from gene expression and next generation sequencing techniques are being integrated in the quest toward a reliable low-risk profile for breast cancer patients. We herein provide a comprehensive overview on the topic.

Oncologic safety of immediate autologous fat grafting for reconstruction in breast-conserving surgery

IMPORTANCE

Autologous fat grafting (AFG), or lipofilling, has been used for immediate reconstruction at the time of breast-conserving surgery in order to achieve a satisfactory cosmetic outcome in patients with breast cancer and an unfavorable tumor-to-breast volume ratio or unfavorable tumor location. However, the oncologic safety of this technique is still unclear.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether AFG performed simultaneously with breast-conserving surgery is associated with differences in local relapse rates and disease-free survival.

DESIGN

Matched retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Tertiary referral center.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients undergoing breast-conserving surgery with or without AFG between 2004 and 2016 were retrospectively enrolled and matched for age, staging, grade, tumor histology, and tumor immunohistochemical profile.

MAIN OUTCOME(S) AND MEASURE(S)

The cumulative incidence of locoregional recurrence (LRR) and disease-free survival were the primary end points, while distant recurrence and overall survival were the secondary end points.

RESULTS

A total of 320 patients were followed. Cases were matched with controls at a 1:4 ratio. There was no difference in LRR or distant recurrence of breast cancer between the two groups. The annual LRR rate was 0.86% in patients who received immediate AFG vs. 0.7% in patients undergoing breast-conserving surgery alone (p ≥ 0.05). Number of lymph nodes was the sole independent risk factor for local recurrence (p = 0.045). No significant differences in disease-free survival rates were found between the groups.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

At a mean follow-up of 5 years, no significant differences in locoregional recurrence rates were found between patients who received immediate AFG and those who underwent breast-conserving surgery alone. These findings corroborate previous research demonstrating the oncological safety of immediate AFG reconstruction, further suggesting that this technique as a safe, effective way to achieve optimal cosmetic outcomes in primary breast cancer surgery without jeopardizing oncologic outcomes.

The Impact of Surgeons on the Likelihood of Mastectomy in Breast Cancer

OBJECTIVE

This study evaluates the impact of individual surgeons and institutions on the use of mastectomy or breast conserving surgery (BCS) among elderly women with breast cancer.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

Current literature characterizes patient clinical and demographic factors that increase likelihood of mastectomy use. However, the impact of the individual provider or institution is not well understood, and could provide key insights to biases in the decision-making process.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study of 29,358 women 65 years or older derived from the SEER-Medicare linked database with localized breast cancer diagnosed from 2000 to 2009. Multilevel, multivariable logistic models were employed, with odds ratios (ORs) used to describe the impact of demographic or clinical covariates, and the median OR (MOR) used to describe the relative impact of the surgeon and institution.

RESULTS

Six thousand five hundred ninety-four women (22.4%) underwent mastectomy. Unadjusted rates of mastectomy ranged from 0% in the bottom quintile of surgeons to 58.0% in the top quintile. On multivariable analysis, the individual surgeon (MOR 1.97) had a greater impact on mastectomy than did the institution (MOR 1.71) or all other clinical and demographic variables except tumor size (OR 3.06) and nodal status (OR 2.95). Surgeons with more years in practice, or those with a lower case volume were more likely to perform mastectomy (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The individual surgeon influences the likelihood of mastectomy for the treatment of localized breast cancer. Further research should focus on physician-related biases that influence this decision to ensure patient autonomy.

The changing role of pathologists from morphologists to molecular pathologists in the era of precision medicine

Pathology is the study of human illness. Throughout centuries of scientific discoveries, pathologic examination of tissue samples has been the gold standard for diagnosis and pathologists have been involved in the elucidation of aetiology, assessment of the biology, clinicopathologic correlation and prediction of prognosis. The advances in science and technology and focused interest in breast cancer research have provided ample opportunities for pathologists to participate in better understanding of the basic fundamental cascade of events leading to tumorigenesis in breast cancer. They also partnered with their clinical colleagues and scientists to find more effective therapeutic options. This change has been possible with recognition of the fact that morphology alone may not be sufficient to tell the entire story of clinical behaviour of all breast cancer patients. In addition, the realization of heterogeneity of breast cancer and the differences in the expression of various biomarkers and the observed differences in response to therapy have resulted in extensive efforts to better define the characters of each breast cancer subtype. It is now generally agreed that breast cancer is not a single disease and not all patients with breast cancer can benefit from the same therapy. These changes have brought new challenges for pathologists. Pathologist are now required to not only provide diagnosis, but also study the precise molecular characterization of each individual breast cancer case and play a significant role in the treatment planning of breast cancer patients. This remarkable change in the role of the pathologist require his/her involvement in the modern taxonomy of this disease and to rise to the challenge of genomic medicine and molecular diagnostics, which are the fastest growing areas of medicine. Emphasis should also been placed to create a new morphomolecular pathology and train our young pathologist to expand beyond morphology and to embrace the power of molecular diagnostics, in order to be able to effectively practise in the era of precision medicine.

The changing surgical treatment of breast cancer in the United States: The tipping point

The surgical management of breast cancer began to change in the middle of the last decade. The use of unilateral mastectomy decreased while the rate of contralateral prophylactic mastectomy for unilateral cancer increased sixfold from 1998 to 2011. The use of immediate breast reconstruction increased from 30% in 2005 to 45% in 2012. Four changes came together in the middle of the last decade to cause this paradigm shift in the surgical management of early breast cancer. (a) Breast MRI would be available in nearly 75% of breast imaging centers. (b) Genetic counseling would become a standard of care for patients with potential hereditary breast cancer. (c) In 2006, the FDA would approve the use of silicone-gel implants. (d) Nipple-sparing mastectomy would become a standard of care in the treatment of early breast cancer.

Pulmonary Metastasectomy versus Continued Active Monitoring in Colorectal Cancer (PulMiCC): a multicentre randomised clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Lung metastasectomy in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer has been widely adopted without good evidence of survival or palliative benefit. We aimed to test its effectiveness in a randomised controlled trial (RCT).

METHODS

Multidisciplinary teams in 13 hospitals recruited participants with potentially resectable lung metastases to a multicentre, two-arm RCT comparing active monitoring with or without metastasectomy. Other local or systemic treatments were decided by the local team. Randomisation was remote and stratified by site with minimisation for age, sex, primary cancer stage, interval since primary resection, prior liver involvement, the number of metastases, and carcinoembryonic antigen level. The central Trial Management Group were blind to patient allocation until completion of the analysis. Analysis was on intention to treat with a margin for non-inferiority of 10%.

RESULTS

Between December 2010 and December 2016, 65 participants were randomised. Characteristics were well-matched in the two arms and similar to those in reported studies: age 35 to 86 years (interquartile range (IQR) 60 to 74); primary resection IQR 16 to 35 months previously; stage at resection T1, 2 or 3 in 3, 8 and 46; N1 or N2 in 31 and 26; unknown in 8. Lung metastases 1 to 5 (median 2); 16/65 had previous liver metastases; carcinoembryonic antigen normal in 55/65. There were no other interventions in the first 6 months, no crossovers from control to treatment, and no treatment-related deaths or major adverse events. The Hazard ratio for death within 5 years, comparing metastasectomy with control, was 0.82 (95%CI 0.43, 1.56).

CONCLUSIONS

Because of poor and worsening recruitment, the study was stopped. The small number of participants in the trial (N = 65) precludes a conclusive answer to the research question given the large overlap in the confidence intervals in the proportions still alive at all time points. A widely held belief is that the 5-year absolute survival benefit with metastasectomy is about 35%: 40% after metastasectomy compared to < 5% in controls. The estimated survival in this study was 38% (23-62%) for metastasectomy patients and 29% (16-52%) in the well-matched controls. That is the new and important finding of this RCT.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT01106261. Registered on 19 April 2010.

Radiotherapy Utilization for Patients Over Age 60 With Early Stage Breast Cancer

INTRODUCTION

Recent studies have questioned the relative benefit of radiotherapy (RT) for older patients with favorable breast cancer given the lack of survival benefit and marginal local control benefit. Despite the 2004 National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines advocating for the option of hormonal therapy alone, trends in utilization rates of RT in this group are not well-documented. We analyzed our institutional experience with implementation of the guidelines over time.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We identified 564 patients aged ≥ 60 years with favorable breast cancer treated with breast conserving surgery from 2000 to 2017. Patients met criteria for Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) 9343, Postoperative Radiotherapy in Minimum Risk Elderly (PRIME II), or the very-low risk cohort identified in the Toronto-British Columbia study. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the magnitude of association between omission status, grade, and tumor size while controlling for age and year of diagnosis.

RESULTS

Overall RT omission rates were 17.6% prior to the 2004 NCCN update and 45% after the publication of the 10-year CALGB data in 2013. The overall RT omission rate was 29%. Patients with grade 1 to 2 histology (odds ratio, 3.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-7.7; P = .01) and tumors < 1 cm (odds ratio, 1.60; 95% confidence interval, 0.4-0.9; P = .007) were more likely to omit RT than those with higher grade or larger tumors.

CONCLUSIONS

We observed a slight decrease in the use of RT over time, suggesting a move towards adoption of the NCCN guidelines. There remains a fundamental need to continue to individualize breast cancer care based on risk stratification and make evidenced-based treatment recommendations with equitable use of health care resources.

Do early HER2-overexpression breast cancer patients benefit from undergoing neoadjuvant trastuzumab and mastectomy? A meta-analysis

Purpose

To assess the overall survival (OS) of early human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-enriched breast cancer patients after receiving neoadjuvant trastuzumab (NAT) compared to adjuvant trastuzumab (AT) treatment and the difference in local-regional relapse (LRR) rate with this tumor and treatment between women after mastectomy and women after breast-conserving therapy (BCT).

Methods

Articles were retrieved from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. A pooled odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidential interval (CI) was calculated. The StataSE version 12.0 software was employed for meta-analysis.

Results

Twelve available clinical studies containing 2366 subjects were included. The OS of NAT compared with that of AT was not significantly different (pooled OR=1.04; 95% CI, 0.47–2.33). There was a significantly lower LRR rate for patients with mastectomy compared to those with BCT (pooled OR=0.58; 95% CI, 0.38–0.89); however, subgroup analysis revealed that the significant advantage of LRR for mastectomy compared to BCT was only represented in women without trastuzumab treatment (pooled OR=0.52; 95% CI, 0.31–0.88) compared to those who received trastuzumab treatment (pooled OR=0.71; 95% CI, 0.34–1.49).

Conclusion

Early stage HER2-overexpression breast cancer patients benefit with an equivalent OS from NAT treatment compared to AT. Patients who underwent mastectomy and BCT experienced a similar LRR rate if they received anti-HER2 targeted therapy of trastuzumab, but the LRR rate was discernibly reduced in patients who received mastectomy compared to BCT if they did not also receive trastuzumab treatment.

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Outcomes of selective whole breast irradiation following lumpectomy with intraoperative radiation therapy for hormone receptor positive breast cancer

BACKGROUND

For low risk breast cancer, the TARGIT-A randomized trial supported lumpectomy with intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) and selective whole breast radiation (WBXRT). Selection criteria for WBXRT vary.

METHODS

Women with hormone-receptor positive, clinically node-negative breast cancer were categorized retrospectively as suitable for IORT alone or also needing WBXRT by TARGIT-A or expanded TARGIT criteria (TARGIT-MCC). We evaluated local recurrence (LR) by selection criteria and receipt of WBXRT.

RESULTS

Among 194 cases followed a median of 44 months, 54 (27.8%) met TARGIT-MCC criteria for WBXRT (34 met TARGIT-A criteria). Thirty patients were recommended and 21 (10.8%) received WBXRT. Of 13 patients with LR, none received WBXRT. LR was 10.5% in patients meeting TARGIT-MCC criteria who did not receive WBXRT versus 0% after WBXRT (p = 0.299).

CONCLUSIONS

Selective WBXRT may have mitigated LR. Nearly all LR were in patients not recommended WBXRT. Further work should refine criteria for WBXRT after IORT.

SUMMARY

Prior work among women with early breast cancer supported lumpectomy with intraoperative radiation therapy and selective adjuvant radiation using a risk-adapted approach. An expanded set of criteria for adjuvant radiation appear to further mitigate local recurrence risk. Local recurrence after lumpectomy with IORT could be further minimized by identification of additional high-risk features, as well as greater adherence to adjuvant endocrine therapy.

Does every woman presenting with malignant calcifications require a post lumpectomy mammogram?

PURPOSE

Successful breast-conserving surgery (BCS) followed by radiation therapy (XRT) is dependent on complete removal of the cancer with clear surgical margins, providing survival rates equivalent to those observed following mastectomy. In patients who have cancers presenting with microcalcifications, post lumpectomy mammograms (PLM) prior to radiation (XRT) can be performed to ensure that no cancer has been left behind. The purpose of this study was to assess the benefit of PLM in patients with malignant breast tumors presenting with microcalcifications.

METHODS

In this IRB-approved retrospective study, we reviewed medical records for patients with breast cancers presenting with microcalcifications who underwent BCS between February 2008 and June 2013. 198 patients who had a PLM prior to XRT for cancers presenting with microcalcifications were included.

RESULTS

Histopathology of the initial lumpectomy revealed invasive carcinoma in 78/198 (39.4%) and DCIS alone in 120/198 (60.6%). 114/198 (58%) patients had negative surgical margins. 7/114 (6%) patients with negative margins had positive PLM and re-excisions that were positive for malignancy: sensitivity 88%, specificity 95%, PPV 58%, NPV 99%. 84/198 patients had positive surgical margins. The diagnostic performance of PLM in this group was: sensitivity 55%, specificity 71%, PPV 66%, NPV 61%.

CONCLUSION

PLM plays an important role in the evaluation of patients undergoing breast conservation for breast cancer presenting with microcalcifications. Residual malignancy was detected on positive PLM in 6% of patients with negative margins.

Preoperative Breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Women With Local Ductal Carcinoma in Situ to Optimize Surgical Outcomes: Results From the Randomized Phase III Trial IRCIS

PURPOSE

We evaluated the addition of breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to standard radiologic evaluation on the re-intervention rate in women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) undergoing breast-conserving surgery.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Women with biopsy-proven DCIS corresponding to a unifocal microcalcification cluster or a mass less than 30 mm were randomly assigned to undergo MRI or standard evaluation. The primary end point was the re-intervention rate for positive or close margins (< 2 mm) in the 6 months after randomization ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01112254).

RESULTS

A total of 360 patients from 10 hospitals in France were included in the study. Of the 352 analyzable patients, 178 were randomly assigned to the MRI arm, and 174 were assigned to the control arm. In the intent-to-treat analysis, 82 of 345 patients with the assessable end point were reoperated for positive or close margins within 6 months, resulting in a re-intervention rate of 20% (35 of 173) in the MRI arm and 27% (47 of 172) in the control arm. The absolute difference of 7% (95% CI, −2% to 16%) corresponded to a relative reduction of 26% (stratified odds ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.41 to 1.1; P = .13). When considering only the per-protocol population with an assessable end point, the difference was 9% (stratified odds ratio, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.35 to 1.0; P = .05). Total mastectomy rates were 18% (31 of 176) in the MRI arm and 17% (30 of 173) in the control arm (stratified P = .93). For 100 lesions seen on MRI, nonmass-like enhancement was more predominant (82%) than mass enhancement (20%). Nevertheless, no specific morphologic and kinetic parameters for DCIS were identified.

CONCLUSION

The study did not show sufficient surgical improvement with the use of preoperative MRI to be clinically relevant in DCIS staging. However, this could be reconsidered with the improvement of new MRI sequences and new modalities in magnetic resonance techniques.

Clinical application of ceramide in cancer treatment

Development of innovative strategies for cancer treatment is a pressing public health issue. Despite recent advances, the mechanisms of cancer progression and the resistance to cancer treatment have not been fully elucidated. Sphingolipids, including ceramide and sphingoshin-1-phosphate, are bioactive mediators that regulate cancer cell death and survival through the dynamic balance of what has been termed the 'sphingolipid rheostat'. Specifically, ceramide, which acts as the central hub of sphingolipid metabolism, is generated via three major pathways by many stressors, including anti-cancer treatments, environmental stresses, and cytokines. We have previously shown in breast cancer patients that elevated ceramide correlated with less aggressive cancer phenotypes, leading to a prognostic impact. Recent studies showed that ceramide have the possibility of becoming the reinforcing agent of cancer treatment as well as other roles such as nanoparticles and diagnostic biomarker. We review ceramide as one of the key molecules to investigate in overcoming resistance to current drug therapies and in becoming one of the newest cancer treatments.

Would Plastic Surgeons Choose Breast Conservation Therapy?

BACKGROUND

Breast conservation therapy is defined as partial mastectomy with subsequent radiation therapy and is the treatment for early-stage breast cancer. However, the unwanted risks of radiation must be considered as well as the impact on future breast reconstruction options. The purpose of this study was to assess the preference of plastic surgeons when given the hypothetical diagnosis of breast cancer.

METHODS

A survey assessing treatment preference of 3 hypothetical breast cancer diagnosis scenarios was designed and distributed by American Society of Plastic Surgeons via e-mail invite to its members.

RESULTS

The risk of cancer recurrence was the most common reason for treatment preferences of all three choices. However, for ductal carcinoma in situ, unilateral mastectomy with implant-based reconstruction is the preferred option with the second most influential reason of avoiding the risks of radiation therapy. For invasive ductal carcinoma node negative, unilateral mastectomy with implant-based reconstruction was the preferred option also due to risks of radiation therapy and anxiety of future surveillance. For invasive ductal carcinoma node positive, bilateral mastectomy with implant-based reconstruction was the preferred choice because of anxiety of future surveillance and also risks of radiation therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

In general, plastic surgeons did not prefer breast conservation therapy for in situ and early-stage breast cancer. Although the most common rationale for total mastectomy was risk of cancer recurrence for all disease severity, risks of radiation therapy are real and play an integral role in the decision-making process. In understanding our own biases, we can help better empathize with patients in consultation for breast reconstruction.

The approach to an isolated close anterior margin in breast conserving surgery

INTRODUCTION

Although close radial margins after breast-conserving surgery routinely undergo re-excision, appropriate management of patients with close anterior margins remains a topic of controversy. An increasing body of literature suggests that re-excision of close anterior margins yields low rates of residual malignancy and may only be necessary in selected patients. The aim of this study was to examine the management of close anterior margins after breast conserving surgery in a single institution and to analyse the rate of residual disease in re-excised anterior margins.

METHODS

All patients having breast conserving surgery at St Vincent's University Hospital from January 2008 to December 2012 were reviewed retrospectively. Data collected included patient demographics, tumour characteristics, margin positivity, re-excision rates and definitive histology of the re-excision specimens. A close margin was defined as les than 2 mm.

RESULTS

A total of 930 patients were included with an average age of 65 years (range 29-94 years). Of these, 121 (13%) had a close anterior margin. Further re-excison of the anterior margin was carried out in 37 patients (30.6%) and a further 16 (13.2%) proceeded to mastectomy. Residual disease was found in 18.5% (7/36) of those who underwent re-excision and 7/16 (43.75%) of those who underwent mastectomy. Overall, 11.57% (14/121) of patients with close anterior margins were subsequently found to have residual disease.

CONCLUSION

The low yield of residual disease in re-excised anterior margins specimens supports the concept that routine re-excision of close anterior margins is not necessary. Further research is required to definitively assess its influence on the risk of local recurrence.

Mastectomy or Breast-Conserving Therapy for Early Breast Cancer in Real-Life Clinical Practice: Outcome Comparison of 7565 Cases

Although the organ preservation strategy by breast-conserving surgery (BCS) followed by radiation therapy (BCT) has revolutionized the treatment approach of early stage breast cancer (BC), the choice between treatment options in this setting can still vary according to patient preferences. The aim of the present study was to compare the oncological outcome of mastectomy versus breast-conserving therapy in patients treated in a modern clinical setting outside of clinical trials. 7565 women diagnosed with early invasive BC (pT1/2pN0/1) between 1998 and 2014 were included in this study (median follow-up: 95.2 months). In order to reduce selection bias and confounding, a subgroup analysis of a matched 1:1 case-control cohort consisting of 1802 patients was performed (median follow-up 109.4 months). After adjusting for age, tumor characteristics and therapies, multivariable analysis for local recurrence-free survival identified BCT as an independent predictor for improved local control (hazard ratio [HR]:1.517; 95%confidence interval:1.092–2.108, p = 0.013) as compared to mastectomy alone in the matched cohort. Ten-year cumulative incidence (CI) of lymph node recurrences was 2.0% following BCT, compared to 5.8% in patients receiving mastectomy (p < 0.001). Similarly, 10-year distant-metastasis-free survival (89.4% vs. 85.5%, p = 0.013) was impaired in patients undergoing mastectomy alone. This translated into improved survival in patients treated with BCT (10-year overall survival (OS) estimates 85.3% vs. 79.3%, p < 0.001), which was also significant on multivariable analysis (p = 0.011). In conclusion, the present study showed that patients treated with BCS followed by radiotherapy had an improved outcome compared to radical mastectomy alone. Specifically, local control, distant control, and overall survival were significantly better using the conservative approach. Thus, as a result of the present study, physicians should encourage patients to receive BCS with radiotherapy rather than mastectomy, whenever it is medically feasible and appropriate.

Oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery: More relevant than ever? Results of a survey among breast surgeons

PURPOSE

Oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery has been part of clinical routine for several years without an internationally accepted nomenclature, standardization or a systematic evaluation of single surgical procedures.

METHODS

We carried out a structured survey of breast surgeons (n = 50) during the annual meeting of the German Society for Senology in Berlin 2017. In the run-up to the event, 10 questions were determined and released for an anonymous survey during the consensus meeting.

RESULTS

Most surgeons participating in the consensus meeting had an expertise of more than 200 oncologic breast surgeries in the last 3 years and approved the need of a higher rate of standardization in oncoplastic techniques. From the oncological standpoint, oncoplastic surgery is considered safe with a comparable rate of compilations as seen in conventional breast-conserving procedures. Most surgeons approve that using oncoplastic surgery, higher rates of breast conservation and improved aesthetic results can be accomplished. The majority of the participants would endorse a more systematic review of subjective aesthetic results in clinical routine.

CONCLUSIONS

A higher degree in standardization of oncoplastic breast surgery is required for surgical-technical, educational, and scientific reasons as well as for a more differentiated monetary compensation of the surgical procedures. This process has already been started.

Single incision for oncologic breast conserving surgery and sentinel node biopsy in early stage breast cancer: A minimally invasive approach

INTRODUCTION

Breast conserving surgery (BCS) has a postoperative morbidity up to 30%. We report the feasibility of a single-incision approach for tumor excision and axillary sentinel node biopsy (SNB) sampling intended to minimize patient morbidity and complications.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A tertiary surgical oncology single surgeon database was retrospectively reviewed for all patients undergoing BCS and SNB between January 2013 and December 2015. The single-incision approach used a single breast incision to resect the tumor and the Lymphazurin-tagged SNB. The multi-incision group used a breast incision and a separate axillary incision.

RESULTS

The single-incision approach was associated with shorter operative time (56 vs 64 minutes, P = 0.026). Sentinel node retrieval was achieved in 100% in both groups. The single-incision technique was used primarily in the upper outer quadrant (N = 41, 85.4%), but was also selectively applied in other quadrants (N = 5). There was no significant difference in complication rates between the two procedures (P = 0.425), and there were no instances of conversion from single-incision to standard BCS-SNB.

CONCLUSIONS

Minimally invasive breast conserving surgery is feasible for patients with early breast cancer located in the upper outer quadrants. This technique may reduce postoperative morbidity and improved cosmetic result.

Automated data extraction and ensemble methods for predictive modeling of breast cancer outcomes after radiation therapy

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of ensemble methods (e.g., random forests) and single-model methods (e.g., logistic regression and decision trees) in predictive modeling of post-RT treatment failure and adverse events (AEs) for breast cancer patients using automatically extracted EMR data.

METHODS

Data from 1967 consecutive breast radiotherapy (RT) courses at one institution between 2008 and 2015 were automatically extracted from EMRs and oncology information systems using extraction software. Over 230 variables were extracted spanning the following variable segments: patient demographics, medical/surgical history, tumor characteristics, RT treatment history, and AEs tracked using CTCAEv4.0. Treatment failure was extracted algorithmically by searching posttreatment encounters for evidence of local, nodal, or distant failure. Individual models were trained using decision trees, logistic regression, random forests, and boosted decision trees to predict treatment failures and AEs. Models were fit on 75% of the data and evaluated for probability calibration and area under the ROC curve (AUC) on the remaining test set. The impact of each variable segment was assessed by retraining without the segment and measuring change in AUC (ΔAUC).

RESULTS

All AUC values were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Ensemble methods outperformed single-model methods across all outcomes. The best ensemble method outperformed decision trees and logistic regression by an average AUC of 0.053 and 0.034, respectively. Model probabilities were well calibrated as evidenced by calibration curves. Excluding the patient medical history variable segment led to the largest AUC reduction in all models (Average ΔAUC = -0.025), followed by RT treatment history (-0.021) and tumor information (-0.015).

CONCLUSION

In this largest such study in breast cancer performed to date, automatically extracted EMR data provided a basis for reliable outcome predictions across multiple statistical methods. Ensemble methods provided substantial advantages over single-model methods. Patient medical history contributed the most to prediction quality.

Contemporary Guidelines in Whole-Breast Irradiation: An Alternative Perspective

The American Society for Radiation Oncology produced an evidence-based guideline on whole-breast radiation therapy for patients with early-stage invasive breast cancer and ductal carcinoma in situ. This commentary points out areas where we believe the data are too limited to make definitive recommendations and where alternative approaches are supported by evidence.

Diagnosis and First-Line Treatment of Breast Cancer in Italian General Hospitals

The quality of the diagnostic and therapeutic process of 1262 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients was evaluated in 63 Italian general hospitals over the period March 1983 - April 1984. Most of the patients (91 %) discovered their own lesion, which was a nodule in 83 % of the cases. Practice of breast self examination was reported by 418 (33 %) patients, only 28 % of whom did that on a regular monthly basis. A diagnostic delay > 3 months was present in 36 % of the patients. Among the preoperative work-up examinations, skeletal X-ray or bone scan was not performed in 20 % of patients, whereas other essential examinations were done in most. The Patey type of radical mastectomy was the most frequent surgical procedure; quadrantectomy was performed in only 26 % of eligible patients, more frequently in younger (34 %) than in older patients (21 %). Adjuvant chemotherapy was recommended for 11 % and 6 % of pre- and postmenopausal N— patients, and for 78 % and 47 % of pre- and postmenopausal N+ patients. Forty-three of the 63 participating hospitals reported they adhered to the guidelines defined by the Italian Breast Cancer Task Force (F.O.N.Ca.M.) but this was not associated with substantial evidence of better quality of care. Similarly, no associations emerged between several hospitals' organizational features and adherence to recommended treatment guidelines. The study is ongoing to assess the quality of postsurgical treatment and to measure its impact on patients' survival.

Defining the Need for Imaging and Biopsy After Mastectomy

BACKGROUND

The proportion of patients eligible for breast-conservation therapy (BCT) yet opting for mastectomy is increasing. This decision is often driven by the desire to eliminate future screening and/or biopsy of the remaining breast or breasts. This study investigated the incidence of post-mastectomy imaging and biopsy.

METHODS

A retrospective review of all unilateral mastectomy (UM) and bilateral mastectomy (BM) cases managed at a single institution was undertaken. Post-mastectomy imaging and biopsy rates were determined.

RESULTS

Between 2009 and 2015, 185 UM and 200 BM cases managed for breast cancer were identified. The mean follow-up period was 30 months (range 3-75 months). For the patients with UM, imaging studies and biopsies done on the contralateral side were excluded given the standard of care for continued surveillance of the contralateral breast. Of the 185 UM patients, 19 (10%) underwent ipsilateral imaging (all ultrasounds) for physical examination findings, 11 (6%) underwent biopsy, and 2 (1%) had malignant findings. Of the 200 BM patients, 31 (15.5%) required imaging (29 ultrasounds and 2 MRIs), with 76% of the ultrasounds performed on the side with previous cancer. Subsequently, 16 (8%) of the BM patients had biopsy, with 11 (69%) of the 16 biopsies performed on the ipsilateral side. Three (1.5%) of the biopsies done on ipsilateral side demonstrated malignancy, whereas all the contralateral biopsies were benign.

CONCLUSIONS

For 10-15.5% of patients who undergo mastectomy, either UM or BM, subsequent imaging is required, whereas 6-8% undergo biopsy. The yield of malignancy is low, approximately 1%. Thus, after mastectomy, the need for imaging and biopsy is not eliminated. This information is critical for patient understanding and expectation related to surgical decision making.

Adjuvant Chemotherapy Guided by a 21-Gene Expression Assay in Breast Cancer

BACKGROUND

The recurrence score based on the 21-gene breast cancer assay predicts chemotherapy benefit if it is high and a low risk of recurrence in the absence of chemotherapy if it is low; however, there is uncertainty about the benefit of chemotherapy for most patients, who have a midrange score.

METHODS

We performed a prospective trial involving 10,273 women with hormone-receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative, axillary node-negative breast cancer. Of the 9719 eligible patients with follow-up information, 6711 (69%) had a midrange recurrence score of 11 to 25 and were randomly assigned to receive either chemoendocrine therapy or endocrine therapy alone. The trial was designed to show noninferiority of endocrine therapy alone for invasive disease-free survival (defined as freedom from invasive disease recurrence, second primary cancer, or death).

RESULTS

Endocrine therapy was noninferior to chemoendocrine therapy in the analysis of invasive disease-free survival (hazard ratio for invasive disease recurrence, second primary cancer, or death [endocrine vs. chemoendocrine therapy], 1.08; 95% confidence interval, 0.94 to 1.24; P=0.26). At 9 years, the two treatment groups had similar rates of invasive disease-free survival (83.3% in the endocrine-therapy group and 84.3% in the chemoendocrine-therapy group), freedom from disease recurrence at a distant site (94.5% and 95.0%) or at a distant or local-regional site (92.2% and 92.9%), and overall survival (93.9% and 93.8%). The chemotherapy benefit for invasive disease-free survival varied with the combination of recurrence score and age (P=0.004), with some benefit of chemotherapy found in women 50 years of age or younger with a recurrence score of 16 to 25.

CONCLUSIONS

Adjuvant endocrine therapy and chemoendocrine therapy had similar efficacy in women with hormone-receptor-positive, HER2-negative, axillary node-negative breast cancer who had a midrange 21-gene recurrence score, although some benefit of chemotherapy was found in some women 50 years of age or younger. (Funded by the National Cancer Institute and others; TAILORx ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00310180 .).