Risk factors for local recurrence after breast-conserving surgery

BACKGROUND

It is not clear whether risk factors for local recurrence after breast-conserving surgery differ in women having surgery for in situ or invasive cancer. Furthermore, the Nottingham Prognostic Index (NPI) and Nottingham Histological Grade (NHG) have been little studied as determinants of local recurrence risk.

METHOD

In a case-control study (491 cases and 1098 controls) nested within a cohort of 7502 women who had surgery for in situ or invasive cancer of the breast, patient characteristics, tumour characteristics and treatment-related variables were evaluated as risk factors for local recurrence.

RESULTS

Multivariate conditional logistic regression analyses showed that age below 40 years, tumour multicentricity and an unclear or unknown surgical margin were significant risk factors for local recurrence. Radiotherapy to the breast and adjuvant hormone therapy were protective. Cancer in situ was not associated with a higher risk of local recurrence than invasive cancer (odds ratio 1.0, 95 per cent confidence interval 0.8 to 1.3). NHG and NPI were not helpful in determining risk of local recurrence.

CONCLUSION

Margin status, age, tumour multicentricity, and use of radiotherapy and adjuvant hormone therapy were important determinants of risk of local recurrence. With the exception of surgical margin, variables related to the quality of surgical management did not predict risk of local recurrence.

Local recurrence in the breast after conservative surgery--a study of prognosis and prognostic factors in 391 women

In a population-based cohort of 6613 women with invasive breast cancer, who had breast-conserving surgery between 1981 and 1990, 391 recurrences in the operated breast were identified. The main aim of this study was to examine the prognosis and prognostic factors in different subgroups of local recurrences, characterised by the time to recurrence, location of recurrence and previously given radiotherapy. The median follow-up for women who had a local recurrence was 7.9 years. The life-table estimates for breast cancer-specific survival in women with local recurrences were 84.5% (standard error (S.E.) 1.8) at 5 years and 70.9% (S.E. 2.7) at 10 years. The risk of breast cancer death was highest among women who had an early (<or=2 years) recurrence in the same quadrant as the primary tumour, with a breast cancer-specific survival of 67.9% (S.E. 4.8) at 5 years and 56.0% (S.E. 5.9) at 10 years. There was a statistically significant difference in the probability of breast cancer-specific survival, as measured from the recurrence, between women who initially did or did not receive radiotherapy (P=0.0123). However, when measured from primary treatment, there was no significant difference, indicating that the difference in prognosis could be due to a lead-time bias. Independent prognostic factors for breast cancer-specific survival in women with local recurrences were time to local recurrence and the Nottingham Prognostic Index (NPI).

Consequences of axillary recurrence after conservative breast surgery

BACKGROUND

The aim was to study the incidence, time course and prognosis of patients who developed axillary recurrence after breast-conserving surgery, and to evaluate possible risk factors for axillary recurrence and prognostic factors after axillary recurrence.

METHODS

In a population-based cohort of 6613 women with invasive breast cancer who had breast-conserving surgery between 1981 and 1990, 92 recurrences in the ipsilateral axilla were identified. Risk factors for axillary recurrence were studied in a case-control study nested in the cohort, and late survival was documented in the women with axillary recurrence.

RESULTS

The overall risk of axillary recurrence was 1.0 per cent at 5 years and 1.7 per cent at 10 years. The risk of axillary recurrence increased with tumour size (P = 0.033) and was highest in younger women (odds ratio (OR) 3.9 for women aged less than 40 years compared with those aged 50-59 years). Radiotherapy to the breast reduced the risk of axillary recurrence (OR 0.1 (95 per cent confidence interval 0.1 to 0.4)). The breast cancer-specific survival rate after axillary recurrence, as measured from primary treatment, was 78.0 per cent at 5 years and 52.3 per cent at 10 years. Tumour size and node status had a statistically significant effect on death from breast cancer.

CONCLUSION

Axillary recurrence is rare, although more common in younger women with large tumours. Radiotherapy to the breast was protective. Tumour size and node status were the most important prognostic factors in women with axillary recurrence.

Time trends in the results of breast conservation in 4694 women

In a population-based cohort of 4694 women with invasive breast cancer, operated upon with breast conserving surgery (BCS) in 1981--1990 and followed through to 1997, we studied how this technique had been adopted into clinical practice, especially with reference to the use of radiotherapy (RT). Our main aim was to see whether there was a drift in the risk of local recurrence and breast cancer death over time. During the 30,151 person-years of observation in the cohort, there were 582 local recurrences, 456 breast cancer deaths and 438 deaths due to other causes. Postoperative RT was given to 70.2%, but usage increased over the period. The women not receiving RT were mostly elderly, but also in women <70 years, 20.4% did not receive RT. The risk for local recurrence after RT were 7.6 and 17.8% at 5 and 10 years, respectively. Without RT, more than 30% had a local recurrence at 10 years. Thus, the choice not to irradiate failed to target women at a low risk. In a multivariate Cox analysis taking tumour size, nodal status, age at operation and RT into account, there was a trend for a higher risk of local recurrence in the later time period, relative hazard 1.5 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0--2.1). Corrected survival was 93.3 and 85.2% at 5 and 10 years, respectively.

Docetaxel compared with sequential methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil in patients with advanced breast cancer after anthracycline failure: a randomised phase III study with crossover on progression by the Scandinavian Breast Group

The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and tolerability of docetaxel to methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil in advanced breast cancer after anthracycline failure. A randomised multicentre trial was conducted in 283 patients with advanced breast cancer who had failed previous anthracycline treatment. Docetaxel at a dose of 100 mg/m2 every 3 weeks (n = 143) was compared with sequential methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil (MF; n = 139) given at day 1 and 8 every 3 weeks at dosages of 200 mg/ m2 and 600 mg/m2, respectively. After progression, crossover to the alternative treatment group was recommended. There was a significantly higher overall response rate in the docetaxel 42% (CR 8% + PR 34%) than in the MF arm 21% (CR 3% + PR 18%) (P < 0.001). The median time to progression (TTP) was 6.3 months in the docetaxel arm and 3.0 months in the MF arm (P < 0.001). Docetaxel also had a significantly higher response rate of 27% following crossover compared with MF (12%). Significantly more side-effects (leucopenia, infections, neuropathy, oedema, asthenia, skin, nail changes, alopecia) were seen in the docetaxel than in the MF group. However, grade 3 and 4 side-effects were infrequent with both drugs, with the exception of fatigue, alopecia and infections. Median overall survival (OS) including crossover phase was 10.4 months in the docetaxel and 11.1 months in the MF arm (P = 0.79). Based on the response rate and the primary endpoint of TTP, docetaxel is superior to sequential methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil in advanced breast cancer after anthracycline failure.