Postoperative radiation therapy in mammary carcinoma stage II. Target volume, organs at risk, absorbed dose, time-dose schedule, and dose to organs at risk in a prospective investigation

Call for a Multidisciplinary Effort to Map the Lymphatic System with Advanced Medical Imaging Techniques: A Review of the Literature and Suggestions for Future Anatomical Research

This review intends to rekindle efforts to map the lymphatic system by using a more modern approach, based on medical imaging. The structure, function, and pathologies associated with the lymphatic system are first discussed to highlight the need for more accurately mapping the lymphatic system. Next, the need for an interdisciplinary approach, with a central role for the anatomist, to come up with better maps of the lymphatic system is emphasized. The current approaches on lymphatic system research involving medical imaging will be discussed and suggestions will be made for an all-encompassing effort to thoroughly map the entire lymphatic system. A first-hand account of our integration as anatomists in the radiotherapy department is given as an example of interdisciplinary collaboration. From this account, it will become clear that the interdisciplinary collaboration of anatomists in the clinical disciplines involved in lymphatic system research/treatment still holds great promise in terms of improving clinical regimens that are currently being employed. As such, we hope that our fellow anatomists will join us in an interdisciplinary effort to map the lymphatic system, because this could, in a relatively short timeframe, provide improved treatment options for patients with cancer or lymphatic pathologies all over the world. Anat Rec, 302:1681-1695, 2019. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy.

Increased cardio and cerebrovascular mortality in breast cancer patients treated with postmastectomy radiotherapy--25 year follow-up of a randomised trial from the South Sweden Breast Cancer Group

AIM OF THE STUDY

To analyse late morbidity and mortality in pre and post-menopausal breast cancer patients treated with postmastectomy radiotherapy, with emphasis on side-effects from the heart, cerebrovascular and respiratory systems.

METHODS

Long term follow-up of two randomised, clinical trials with 1100 patients was carried out. Pre-menopausal women were allocated to radiotherapy (RT), RT+oral cyclophosphamide (RT+C) or cyclophosphamide only (C). Post-menopausal women were allocated to RT, RT+Tamoxifen for one year (RT+Tam) or tamoxifen only (Tam). Information on admission to hospital, mortality and causes of death was obtained from national registers.

RESULTS

After 25 years, adding RT to cyclophosphamide in pre-menopausal women raised the mortality from heart disease from zero to 0.8% (p=0.04). In post-menopausal women, adding RT to Tam raised the mortality from heart disease from 10.5% to 18.4% (p=0.005). In post-menopausal women mortality due to cerebrovascular disease increased from 3.4% to 8.7% by adding RT to Tam (p=0.015). The differences were not evident until in the second decade of follow-up. In spite of differences in specific causes of death, there were no significant differences between the treatment arms concerning morbidity or overall mortality.

CONCLUSION

Postmastectomy radiotherapy to the chest wall and loco-regional lymph nodes including the parasternal lymph nodes as delivered in the end of the seventies did not reduce overall mortality, but gave a significantly increased risk of death from heart and cerebrovascular disease, which appeared during the second decade after radiotherapy.

Efficient reduction of loco-regional recurrences but no effect on mortality twenty years after postmastectomy radiation in premenopausal women with stage II breast cancer - a randomized trial from the South Sweden Breast Cancer Group

PURPOSE

To study long term loco-regional and distant recurrence rate and survival after post-mastectomy radiotherapy in combination with oral cyclophosphamide in premenopausal women with stage II breast cancer.

STUDY DESIGN

A three-armed randomized multicenter phase III trial comparing 1) Radiotherapy (RT) 2) RT+ oral cyclophosphamide for one year (RT+C) and 3) Oral cyclophosphamide only (C). Radiotherapy was administered, in 20 fractions, to 48Gy to the axilla and parasternal lymph nodes, 45Gy to infra- and supraclavicular fossae and 38Gy to the chest wall. Cyclophosphamide was prescribed as 12 courses of 130mg/m(2) od for 14 days every 4 weeks.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

367 patients from 15 surgical departments in Southern Sweden, representing 80% of all eligible patients, were included in the trial between 1978-1983. Median age was 47 years, median tumour size was 25mm, and 33% of the patients were lymph node negative. Median follow-up time was 24 years.

RESULTS

RT reduced the risk at twenty years for loco-regional recurrence in C-treated patients at twenty years with 75% (13.9% vs. 3.5%). The risk reduction was highly significant in both N0 and N+ patients. No reduction in systemic disease or mortality was observed.

CONCLUSION

Post-mastectomy radiotherapy reduced loco-regional recurrences in this premenopausal population, but no effect was seen on mortality with 20 years follow-up.

Radiotherapy and tamoxifen after mastectomy in postmenopausal women – 20 year follow-up of the South Sweden Breast Cancer group randomised trial SSBCG II:I

AIMS

To evaluate long-term effects of radiotherapy and tamoxifen after mastectomy on recurrence and survival in stage II breast cancer.

METHODS

A randomised phase III study with three treatment alternatives. (1) Radiotherapy 50 Gy/25 fractions to chest wall and regional lymph nodes (RT). (2) Radiotherapy and tamoxifen 30 mg/day for one year (RT+tam) and 3. Tamoxifen (tam).

RESULTS

724 postmenopausal women were included between 1978 and 1985 and the trial was close to population based. Follow-up for survival was 23 years. Locoregional recurrences were reduced from 18.5% in the tam arm to 5.3% in the RT+tam arm. Overall mortality at 20 years was 71% in the RT arm, 68% in the RT+tam arm and 62% in the tam arm. The difference between RT+tam and tam was not significant except in the receptor positive subgroup in favour of non-irradiated patients (p=0.047). The cumulative incidence of systemic disease at 20 years was lower in the RT+Tam arm than in the RT arm, 40% versus 50% (p=0.047).

CONCLUSION

Postmastectomy radiotherapy significantly reduced loco-regional recurrences, but overall survival was not improved. At 20 years, a lower mortality was recorded for non-irradiated patients treated with tam.

Clinical practice guidelines for the care and treatment of breast cancer: 16. Locoregional post-mastectomy radiotherapy

OBJECTIVE

To provide information and recommendations to assist women with breast cancer and their physicians in making decisions regarding the use of locoregional post-mastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT).

OUTCOMES

Locoregional control, disease-free survival, overall survival and treatment-related toxicities.

EVIDENCE

This guideline is based on a review of all meta-analyses, consensus statements and other guidelines published between 1966 and November 2002. Searches of MEDLINE and CANCERLIT for English-language randomized controlled trials published between 1995 and November 2002 were also conducted to supplement the literature previously reviewed by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Health Services Research Committee panel in its published guideline. A nonsystematic review of the literature was continued through June 2003.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Locoregional PMRT is recommended for women with an advanced primary tumour (tumour size 5 cm or greater, or tumour invasion of the skin, pectoral muscle or chest wall). Locoregional PMRT is recommended for women with 4 or more positive axillary lymph nodes. The role of PMRT in women with 1 to 3 positive axillary lymph nodes is unclear. These women should be offered the opportunity to participate in clinical trials of PMRT. Locoregional PMRT is generally not recommended for women who have tumours that are less than 5 cm in diameter and who have negative axillary nodes. Other patient, tumour and treatment characteristics, including age, histologic grade, lymphovascular invasion, hormone receptor status, number of axillary nodes removed, axillary extracapsular extension and surgical margin status, may affect locoregional control, but their use in specifying additional indications for PMRT is currently unclear. PMRT should encompass the chest wall and the supraclavicular, infraclavicular and axillary apical lymph node areas. To reduce the risk of lymphedema, radiation of the entire axilla should not be used routinely after complete axillary dissection of level I and II lymph nodes. A definite recommendation regarding the inclusion of the internal mammary lymph nodes in PMRT cannot be made because of limited and inconsistent data. The use of modern techniques in radiotherapy planning is recommended to minimize excessive normal tissue exposure, particularly to the cardiac and pulmonary structures. Common short-term side effects of PMRT, including fatigue and skin erythema, are generally tolerable and not dose-limiting. Severe long-term side effects, including lymphedema, cardiac and pulmonary toxicities, brachial plexopathy, rib fractures and secondary neoplasms, are relatively rare. The optimal sequencing of PMRT and systemic therapy is currently unclear. Regimens containing anthracyclines or taxanes should not be administered concurrently with radiotherapy because of the potential for increased toxicity.

VALIDATION

The authors' original text was submitted for review, revision and approval by the Steering Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Care and Treatment of Breast Cancer. Subsequently, feedback was provided by 11 oncologists from across Canada. The final document was approved by the steering committee.

SPONSOR

The Steering Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Care and Treatment of Breast Cancer was convened by Health Canada. COMPLETION DATE: November 2003.

Does locoregional radiation therapy improve survival in breast cancer? A meta-analysis

PURPOSE

Recent randomized trials in women with node-positive breast cancer who received systemic treatment report that locoregional radiation therapy improves survival. Previous trials failed to detect a difference in survival that results from its use. A systematic review of randomized trials that examine the effectiveness of locoregional radiation therapy in patients treated by definitive surgery and adjuvant systemic therapy was conducted.

METHODS

Randomized trials published between 1967 and 1999 were identified through MEDLINE database, CancerLit database, and reference lists of relevant articles. Relevant data was abstracted. The results of randomized trials were pooled using meta-analyses to estimate the effect of treatment on any recurrence, locoregional recurrence, and mortality.

RESULTS

Eighteen trials that involved a total of 6,367 patients were identified. Most trials included both pre- and postmenopausal women with node-positive breast cancer treated with modified radical mastectomy. The type of systemic therapy received, sites irradiated, techniques used, and doses of radiation delivered varied between trials. Data on toxicity were infrequently reported. Radiation was shown to reduce the risk of any recurrence (odds ratio, 0.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.58 to 0.83), local recurrence (odds ratio, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.19 to 0.34), and mortality (odds ratio, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.74 to 0.94).

CONCLUSION

Locoregional radiation after surgery in patients treated with systemic therapy reduced mortality. Several questions remain on how these results should be translated into current-day clinical practice.

Adjuvant therapy of breast cancer: compliance and data validity in a multicenter trial

Multicenter clinical trials are often large and complex, involving many institutions and investigators. The organizational structure is of vital importance in conducting and coordinating such trials. The present article describes the organization of a multicenter trial of adjuvant therapy of breast cancer. The trial is conducted since 1978 and involves all 15 hospitals in the Southern Swedish Health Care Region. The paper also describes methods of determining patient accrual rate, compliance with entrance criteria, diagnostic procedures, treatment, and follow-up. Comparison of data obtained from a population-based regional tumor registry revealed an accrual rate of more than 80%. Compliance with entrance criteria varied between the treatment groups from 85% to 97%. No patients were lost to follow-up. Compliance with diagnostic procedures and treatment was generally good. Reporting of recurrences was in accordance with data from patients' records in 98% of patients. One hundred thirteen patients died during the first 5 years of study. Twenty-one of these deaths were not reported to the secretariat. This strongly illustrates the necessity of matching to a population register before presenting data of such trials.