Open AccessComparison of Treatment Outcomes between Breast Conserving Surgery Followed by Radiotherapy and Mastectomy Alone in Patients with T1-2 Stage and 1-3 Axillary Lymph Nodes in the Era of Modern Adjuvant Systemic Treatments
Author(s) -
Sang Won Kim,
Mison Chun,
Sehwan Han,
Yongsik Jung,
Jin Hyuk Choi,
Seok Yun Kang,
Hyunsoo Jang,
Sunmi Jo
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0163748
Subject(s) - medicine , radiation therapy , breast cancer , hazard ratio , mastectomy , axillary lymph nodes , breast conserving surgery , lymph , oncology , cumulative incidence , confidence interval , surgery , cancer , cohort , pathology
Purpose The role of postmastectomy radiotherapy in the treatment of T1–2 primary tumor with 1–3 positive lymph nodes is controversial. We compared treatment outcomes between breast conserving surgery followed by radiotherapy (BCS+RT) and total mastectomy alone (TM) in the setting of modern adjuvant systemic treatments. Methods Patients with T1–2 primary breast cancer and 1–3 positive lymph nodes who were treated between 2001 and 2011 were divided into 2 groups based on the treatment approach: BCS+RT ( n = 169) and TM ( n = 117). All patients received adjuvant chemotherapy including taxanes. Adjuvant endocrine therapy was administered to patients with positive hormone receptors according to their menstrual status. Results During a median follow-up of 76.5 months, 21 patients (7.3%) experienced locoregional recurrence as the first event, including 7 patients (4.1%) in the BCS+RT group and 14 patients (12.0%) in the TM group. The 5-year cumulative incidence rate of locoregional recurrence was 2.5% for BCS+RT versus 9.5% for TM ( p = 0.016). Competing risk regression analysis revealed that TM was associated with a relative risk for locoregional recurrence of 5.347 ( p = 0.003). TM was also associated with a significantly lower 5-year disease-free survival rate compared with BCS+RT (hazard ratio, 2.024; 95% confidence interval, 1.090–3.759; p = 0.026). Conclusion To improve treatment outcomes for TM even after modern systemic treatments, postmastectomy radiotherapy might be required for patients with T1–2 primary breast cancer and 1–3 positive lymph nodes.