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. 2009 Mar 1;73(3):734-44.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2008.04.078. Epub 2008 Aug 15.

Ten-year recurrence rates in young women with breast cancer by locoregional treatment approach

Beth M Beadle  1 , Wendy A Woodward, Susan L Tucker, Elesyia D Outlaw, Pamela K Allen, Julia L Oh, Eric A Strom, George H Perkins, Welela Tereffe, Tse-Kuan Yu, Funda Meric-Bernstam, Jennifer K Litton, Thomas A Buchholz
Affiliations

Ten-year recurrence rates in young women with breast cancer by locoregional treatment approach

Beth M Beadle et al. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. .

Abstract

Purpose: Young women with breast cancer have higher locoregional recurrence (LRR) rates than older patients. The goal of this study is to determine the impact of locoregional treatment strategy, breast-conserving therapy (BCT), mastectomy alone (M), or mastectomy with adjuvant radiation (MXRT), on LRR for patients 35 years or younger.

Methods and materials: Data for 668 breast cancers in 652 young patients with breast cancer were retrospectively reviewed; 197 patients were treated with BCT, 237 with M, and 234 with MXRT.

Results: Median follow-up for all living patients was 114 months. In the entire cohort, 10-year actuarial LRR rates varied by locoregional treatment: 19.8% for BCT, 24.1% for M, and 15.1% for MXRT (p = 0.05). In patients with Stage II disease, 10-year actuarial LRR rates by locoregional treatment strategy were 17.7% for BCT, 22.8% for M, and 5.7% for MXRT (p = 0.02). On multivariate analysis, M (hazard ratio, 4.45) and Grade III disease (hazard ratio, 2.24) predicted for increased LRR. In patients with Stage I disease, there was no difference in LRR rates based on locoregional treatment (18.0% for BCT, 19.8% for M; p = 0.56), but chemotherapy use had a statistically significant LRR benefit (13.5% for chemotherapy, 27.9% for none; p = 0.04).

Conclusions: Young women have high rates of LRR after breast cancer treatment. For patients with Stage II disease, the best locoregional control rates were achieved with MXRT. For patients with Stage I disease, similar outcomes were achieved with BCT and mastectomy; however, chemotherapy provided a significant benefit to either approach.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Kaplan-Meier curves for (a) local recurrence (LR)-free survival (b) locoregional recurrence (LRR)-free survival, (c) distant metastasis (DM)-free survival, and (d) overall survival for all patients with breast cancer diagnosed at 35 years and younger. BCT = breast-conserving therapy (green); M = mastectomy alone (red); MXRT = mastectomy with postoperative radiation (blue).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Kaplan-Meier curves for locoregional recurrence (LRR)-free survival for young patients with Stage I breast cancer treated with (a) chemotherapy (chemo) vs. no chemotherapy, (b) no chemotherapy by treatment approach, and (c) chemotherapy by treatment approach (breast-conserving treatment [BCT] vs. mastectomy alone [M]).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Kaplan-Meier curves for young patients with Stage II breast cancer describing (a) locoregional recurrence (LRR)-free survival, (b) distant metastasis (DM), and (c) overall survival by treatment approach (breast-conserving treatment [BCT] vs. mastectomy alone [M] vs. mastectomy with adjuvant radiation therapy [MXRT]).
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