Impact of postmastectomy radiation on locoregional recurrence in breast cancer patients with 1-3 positive lymph nodes treated with modern systemic therapy.

Postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) remains controversial for patients with 1-3 positive lymph nodes (LN+). We conducted a retrospective review of all 369 breast cancer patients with 1-3 LN+ who underwent mastectomy without neoadjuvant systemic therapy between 2000 and 2007 at Cleveland Clinic. We identified 271 patients with 1-3 LN+ who did not receive PMRT and 98 who did receive PMRT. The median follow-up time was 5.2 years, and the median number of LN dissected was 11. Of those not treated with PMRT, 79% received adjuvant chemotherapy (of whom 70% received a taxane), 79% received hormonal therapy, and 5% had no systemic therapy. Of the Her2/neu amplified tumors, 42% received trastuzumab. The 5-year rate of locoregional recurrence (LRR) was 8.9% without PMRT vs 0% with PMRT (P=.004). For patients who did not receive PMRT, univariate analysis showed 6 risk factors significantly (P<.05) correlated with LRR: estrogen receptor/progesterone receptor negative (hazard ratio [HR] 2.6), lymphovascular invasion (HR 2.4), 2-3 LN+ (HR 2.6), nodal ratio >25% (HR 2.7), extracapsular extension (ECE) (HR 3.7), and Bloom-Richardson grade III (HR 3.1). The 5-year LRR rate was 3.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.1%-6.8%] for patients with 0-1 risk factor vs 14.6% [95% CI, 8.4%-20.9%] for patients with ≥2 risk factors (P=.0006), respectively. On multivariate analysis, ECE (HR 4.3, P=.0006) and grade III (HR 3.6, P=.004) remained significant risk factors for LRR. The 5-year LRR was 4.1% in patients with neither grade III nor ECE, 8.1% with either grade III or ECE, and 50.4% in patients with both grade III and ECE (P<.0001); the corresponding 5-year distant metastasis-free survival rates were 91.8%, 85.4%, and 59.1% (P=.0004), respectively. PMRT offers excellent control for patients with 1-3 LN+, with no locoregional failures to date. Patients with 1-3 LN+ who have grade III disease and/or ECE should be strongly considered for PMRT.

Tendulkar RD ，Rehman S ，Shukla ME ，Reddy CA ，Moore H ，Budd GT ，Dietz J ，Crowe JP ，Macklis R ... -  《-》

Selecting breast cancer patients with T1-T2 tumors and one to three positive axillary nodes at high postmastectomy locoregional recurrence risk for adjuvant radiotherapy.

Truong PT ，Olivotto IA ，Kader HA ，Panades M ，Speers CH ，Berthelet E ... -  《INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RADIATION ONCOLOGY BIOLOGY PHYSICS》

Radiotherapy for stage II and stage III breast cancer patients with negative lymph nodes after preoperative chemotherapy and mastectomy.

To evaluate the effect of postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) in Stage II-III breast cancer patients with negative lymph nodes (pN0) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Of 1,054 breast cancer patients treated with NAC at our institution between 1990 and 2004, 134 had pN0 status after NAC and mastectomy. The demographic data, tumor characteristics, metastatic sites, and treatments were prospectively recorded. The effect of PMRT on locoregional recurrence-free survival and overall survival (OS) was evaluated by multivariate analysis, including known prognostic factors. Of the 134 eligible patients, 78 (58.2%) received PMRT and 56 (41.8%) did not. At a median follow-up time of 91.4 months, the 5-year locoregional recurrence-free survival and OS rate was 96.2% and 88.3% with PMRT and 92.5% and 94.3% without PMRT, respectively (p = NS). The corresponding values at 10 years were 96.2% and 77.2% with PMRT and 86.8% and 87.7% without PMRT (p = NS). On multivariate analysis, PMRT had no effect on either locoregional recurrence-free survival (hazard ratio, 0.37; 95% confidence interval, 0.09-1.61; p = .18) or OS (hazard ratio, 2.06; 95% confidence interval, 0.71-6; p = .18). This remained true in the subgroups of patients with clinical Stage II or Stage III disease at diagnosis. A trend was seen toward poorer OS among patients who had not had a pathologic complete in-breast tumor response after NAC (hazard ratio, 6.65; 95% confidence interval, 0.82-54.12; p = .076). The results from the present retrospective study showed no increase in the risk of distant metastasis, locoregional recurrence, or death when PMRT was omitted in breast cancer patients with pN0 status after NAC and mastectomy. Whether the omission of PMRT is acceptable for these patients should be addressed prospectively.

Le Scodan R ，Selz J ，Stevens D ，Bollet MA ，de la Lande B ，Daveau C ，Lerebours F ，Labib A ，Bruant S ... -  《-》

Locoregional failure 15 years after mastectomy in women with one to three positive axillary nodes with or without irradiation the significance of tumor size.

Fodor J ，Polgár C ，Major T ，Németh G ... -  《STRAHLENTHERAPIE UND ONKOLOGIE》

Predictors of locoregional outcome in patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy and postmastectomy radiation.

The objective of this study was to identify predictors of locoregional recurrence (LRR) after neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) and postmastectomy radiation (PMRT) in a cohort of patients with stage II through III breast cancer and to determine whether omission of the supraclavicular field had an impact on the risk of LRR. The authors reviewed records from 464 patients who received NAT and PMRT from January 1999 to December 2009. The median patient age was 50 years (range, 25-81 years). Clinical disease stage was stage II in 29% of patients, stage III in 71%, and inflammatory in 14%. Receptor status was estrogen receptor (ER)-positive in 54% of patients, progesterone receptor (PR)-positive in 39%, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive in 24%, and negative for all 3 receptors (triple negative) in 32%. All patients received NAT and underwent mastectomy, and 19.6% had a complete pathologic response in the breast and axilla, 17.5% received radiation to the chest wall only, and 82.5% received radiation to the chest wall and the supraclavicular field; omission of the supraclavicular field was more common in patients with lower clinical and pathologic lymph node status. The median follow-up was 50.5 months, and the 5-year cumulative incidence of LRR was 6% (95% confidence interval, 3.9%-8.6%). Predictors of LRR were clinical stage III (P = .038), higher clinical lymph node status (P = .025), higher pathologic lymph node status (P = .003), the combination of clinically and pathologically positive lymph nodes (P < .001), inflammatory presentation (P = .037), negative ER status (P = .006), negative PR status (P = .015), triple-negative status (P < .001), and pathologic tumor size >2 cm (P = .045). On univariate analysis, omission of the supraclavicular field was not associated significantly with LRR (hazard ratio, 0.89; P = .833); however, on multivariate analyses, omission of the supraclavicular field was associated significantly with LRR (hazard ratio, 3.39; P = .024). Presenting stage, receptor status, pathologic response to neoadjuvant therapy, and omission the supraclavicular field were identified as risk factors for LRR after neoadjuvant therapy and PMRT.

Wright JL ，Takita C ，Reis IM ，Zhao W ，Saigal K ，Wolfson A ，Markoe A ，Moller M ，Hurley J ... -  《-》