Primary radiation therapy for early breast cancer

Postmastectomy locoregional recurrence and recurrence-free survival in breast cancer patients

Background

One essential outcome after breast cancer treatment is recurrence of the disease. Treatment decision is based on assessment of prognostic factors of breast cancer recurrence. This study was to investigate the prognostic factors for postmastectomy locoregional recurrence (LRR) and survival in those patients.

Methods

114 patients undergoing mastectomy and adjuvant radiotherapy in Cancer Institute of Tehran University of Medical Sciences were retrospectively reviewed between 1996 and 2008. All cases were followed up after initial treatment of patients with breast cancer via regular visit (annually) for discovering the LRR. Cumulative recurrence free survival (RFS) was determined using the Kaplan-Meier method, with univariate comparisons between groups through the log-rank test. The Cox proportional hazards model was used for multivariate analysis.

Result

The median follow up time was 84 months (range 2-140). Twenty-three (20.2%) patients developed LRR. Cumulative RFS rate at 2.5 years and 5 years were 86% (95%CI, 81-91) and 82.5% (95%CI, 77-87) respectively. Mean RFS was 116.50 ± 4.43 months (range, 107.82 - 125.12 months, 95%CI). At univariate and multivariate analysis, factors had not any influence on the LRR.

Conclusion

Despite use of adjuvant therapies during the study, we found a LRR rate after mastectomy of 20.2%. Therefore, for patients with LRR without evidence of distant disease, aggressive multimodality therapy is warranted.

Radiation therapy after breast-conserving surgery

The authors critically reviewed previous articles concerning the significance of breast irradiation following breast-conserving surgery in terms of the following subject items: indications for breast-conserving therapy, the significance and complications of breast irradiation, the timing of the start of breast irradiation, the significance of boost irradiation, the potential improvement of survival with systemic therapy plus breast irradiation, the significance of axillary dissection, indications and the significance of regional nodal irradiation, accelerated hypofractionated radiotherapy, omission of breast irradiation in low-risk patients, and future directions. In addition, our previously reported results of breast irradiation following breast-conserving surgery at the Keio University Hospital are outlined. Our newly developed tangential irradiation technique directed to the axilla and a recently introduced three-dimensional simulation technique for radiotherapy treatment planning are also presented.

Breast conservation therapy after augmentation mammaplasty: is it appropriate?

Breast conservation therapy, consisting of lumpectomy, axillary node dissection, whole-breast irradiation, and a boost to the tumor bed, is an increasingly popular option for the treatment of breast cancer. Among patients with stage I and stage II disease, breast conservation therapy yields survival rates equivalent to those for mastectomy. The cosmetic results of radiotherapy are usually good, and this approach preserves an intact, sensate breast. Most studies on breast conservation therapy, however, have been performed in nonaugmented patients. Relatively little has been published regarding breast conservation therapy in the presence of silicone implants. Between 1981 and 1994, we treated 33 augmented patients with breast conservation therapy. Among 26 individuals for whom complete follow-up data were available, 17 (65 percent) developed significant capsular contracture on the irradiated side. Thus far 8 patients with radiation-induced contracture have undergone corrective surgery. In our experience, augmented breast cancer patients treated with breast conservation therapy have less satisfactory cosmetic results than nonaugmented women. In addition, mammographic follow-up, critical for identifying local recurrence, may be impaired by the presence of an implant and capsular contracture. On the basis of these considerations, breast conservation therapy may be less than optimal in augmented cancer patients unless explantation is performed before treatment.

Method of localization and implantation of the lumpectomy site for high dose rate brachytherapy after conservative surgery for T1 and T2 breast cancer

PURPOSE

This article describes our technique of localization and implantation of the lumpectomy site of patients with T1 and T2 breast cancer. Our method was developed as part of our Phase I/II pilot study of high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy alone after conservative surgery for early breast cancer.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

In March 1992, we started a pilot study of HDR brachytherapy to the lumpectomy site as the sole radiotherapy after conservative surgery for clinical T1 or T2 invasive breast cancer. Initially, the protocol required intraoperative placement of the interstitial needles at the time of definitive surgery to the breast. The protocol was then generalized to allow the implantation of the lumpectomy site after definitive surgery to the breast, either at the time of subsequent axillary nodal dissection or postoperatively. To date, five patients have been implanted intraoperatively at the time of definitive breast surgery. Twelve patients were implanted after definitive breast surgery, with 7 patients being done at the time of axillary nodal dissection and 5 patients postoperatively. We devised a method of accurately localizing and implanting the lumpectomy site after definitive breast surgery. The method relies on the previous placement of surgical clips by the referring surgeon to mark the lumpectomy site. For each patient, a breast mold is made with radio-opaque angiocatheters taped onto the mold in the supero-inferior direction. A planning CT scan is then obtained through the lumpectomy site. The volume of the lumpectomy site, the number of implant planes necessary, and the orientation of the implants are then determined from the CT scan. The angiocatheters provide a reference grid on the CT films to locate the entry and exit points of the interstitial needles on the plastic mold. The entry and exit points for reference needles are then transferred onto the patient's skin enabling implantation of the lumpectomy site. Needle positions with respect to the lumpectomy site are then verified using simulator radiographs.

RESULTS

Eight double plane implants and four single plane implants have been done using this method. Five implants were done using direct visualization. It has not been necessary to reorient the implant in any of the patients. If not for the presence of surgical clips, the size of the lumpectomy site cannot be separated from the surrounding normal breast tissue.

CONCLUSION

This technique is an accurate way to localize the lumpectomy site for HDR brachytherapy.

Primary therapy for limited breast cancer. Radiation therapy techniques

Available data show that breast conserving surgery followed by radiation therapy results in freedom of breast cancer recurrence rates that range from 86% at 10 years to 80% at 20 years for Stage I and II carcinoma. Breast cancer recurrence may be reduced further by the administration of systemic chemotherapy. Mastectomy and breast conserving therapy give equal tumor control and survival, but the latter results in superior quality of life. To achieve the best tumor control with optimal cosmesis, certain generally accepted principles of surgical and radiotherapeutic management need to be followed. The surgeon must use a neat technique that avoids excessive removal of breast and axillary tissue, improper placement of the surgical scar in the breast, and the formation of seromas or hematomas, which result in breast or arm edema. The radiation oncologist must use supervoltage energy, fields that avoid excessive irradiation of the lungs and other sensitive structures, proper field matching, whole breast doses ranging from 4500 to 5000 cGy with fractions of 180 to 200 cGy per day, and brachytherapy or electron beam boost to achieve a total dose of approximately 6000 cGy in the tumor area. These principles should result in good to excellent cosmesis in more than 80% of treated breasts. Breast conserving management offers women an incentive to achieve early detection. Early detection is the most promising approach to reduce mortality from breast cancer.

Results of initial doxorubicin, 5-fluorouracil, and cyclophosphamide combination chemotherapy for inflammatory carcinoma of the breast

Forty-three patients with nonmetastatic inflammatory breast carcinoma have been treated by initial doxorubicin, 5-fluorouracil, and cyclophosphamide (FAC) combination chemotherapy. After three chemotherapy cycles, responding patients underwent surgery. Chemotherapy was then completed for nine cycles of FAC followed by locoregional radiation therapy. All patients received tamoxifen 40 mg/day for 1 year from the time of diagnosis. Thirty-eight patients (88%) had a clinical response to chemotherapy and underwent surgery. On histologic examination 17 patients had a residual tumor mass less than 1 cm diameter or a complete tumor disappearance; lymph nodes dissection was negative in 15 patients. With a median follow-up of 48 months, the predicted 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) is 48% (median DFS, 46 months). Analysis of prognosis factors shows that age, menopausal status, and histologic grade have no predictive value. The DFS and overall survival were significantly improved by the presence of hormonal receptors and a low number of positive lymph nodes (less than 4) at surgery. The most significant prognosis factor was the residual tumor mass after initial chemotherapy with an 80% predicted 5-year DFS for the responding patients versus 30% for the no responding patients (P less than 0.001).

Tumorectomy and radiotherapy in early breast cancer: a report on 392 patients

This study includes 392 patients (231 Stage I and 161 Stage II) treated by tumorectomy followed by radiotherapy. The overall actuarial survival for all the patients is 86.5% at 5 years and 78% at 10 years. The 5-year NED survival is 70.2%. The survival rates are depending on the loco-regional extension: Stage I: 92% survival at 5 years and 84% at 10 years; Stage II: 82% survival at 5 years and 75% at 10 years. The percentage of local recurrences were 13% for all stages (10.6% for Stage I, 16% for Stage II), of lymph node recurrences: 1.5% for all stages, 1.3% for Stage I, 2% for Stage II, of distant metastases: 11.2% for all stages, 8% for Stage I and 16% for Stage II. The loco-regional control rates were analyzed according to the TNM classification and discussed and compared to several literature data. The breast preservation rates were at 5 years 85% for Stage I and 80.9% for Stage II. Cosmetic results are judged as good in 80% by doctors and in 90% by patients themselves with very low complication rates.

Malignant phyllodes tumor following irradiation of the breast

This is a case report of malignant phyllodes tumor (cystosarcoma phyllodes) which appeared 15 years following medical irradiation of the breast for presumable carcinoma which had not been histologically or cytologically confirmed prior to treatment. Histology of the phyllodes tumor disclosed remnant of fibroadenoma in one area, and it is believed that the latter gave rise to the malignant phyllodes tumor within the field of irradiation. In view of recent popularity of the limited surgery and postoperative irradiation in treatment of breast carcinoma the possibility of malignant transformation of fibroadenoma left in situ is raised.

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

In 1976 we began a randomized trial to evaluate breast conservation by a segmental mastectomy in the treatment of Stage I and II breast tumors less than or equal to 4 cm in size. The operation removes only sufficient tissue to ensure that margins of resected specimens are free of tumor. Women were randomly assigned to total mastectomy, segmental mastectomy alone, or segmental mastectomy followed by breast irradiation. All patients had axillary dissections, and patients with positive nodes received chemotherapy. Life-table estimates based on data from 1843 women indicated that treatment by segmental mastectomy, with or without breast irradiation, resulted in disease-free, distant-disease-free, and overall survival at five years that was no worse than that after total breast removal. In fact, disease-free survival after segmental mastectomy plus radiation was better than disease-free survival after total mastectomy (P = 0.04), and overall survival after segmental mastectomy, with or without radiation, was better than overall survival after total mastectomy (P = 0.07, and 0.06, respectively). A total of 92.3 per cent of women treated with radiation remained free of breast tumor at five years, as compared with 72.1 per cent of those receiving no radiation (P less than 0.001). Among patients with positive nodes 97.9 per cent of women treated with radiation and 63.8 per cent of those receiving no radiation remained tumor-free (P less than 0.001), although both groups received chemotherapy. We conclude that segmental mastectomy, followed by breast irradiation in all patients and adjuvant chemotherapy in women with positive nodes, is appropriate therapy for Stage I and II breast tumors less than or equal to 4 cm, provided that margins of resected specimens are free of tumor.