title: Preliminary results of conservative treatment of early breast cancer with tumourectomy, axillary dissection and postoperative radiotherapy. A retrospective review of 107 patients.
abstract: A consecutive series of 107 patients with early breast cancer treated by tumourectomy, axillary dissection and postoperative radiotherapy was retrospectively reviewed. The average age at presentation was 48, range 30-79. Only 23.4% of women were post-menopausal. Average follow-up time was 48 months, range 19-94 months. Eight-three per cent had palpable lesions, the remaining 16.8% had needle localization. Ninety-four patients (88.7%) had lesions less than 2 cm in diameter clinically. One patient had a lesion greater than 3 cm in diameter clinically. Seventy-two per cent had invasive duct carcinoma. Twenty (18.9%) had invasive disease at the margins and fifteen were re-excised. Of the 20 patients who had invasive disease at the margins, three developed local recurrence. True loco-regional recurrence rate (i.e., loco-regional recurrence rate without distant metastasis) was 2.8%. All had level I and II axillary dissections and 26.4% were up-staged from clinical stage 1 to pathological stage II. Five patients died, three with recurrences and two with unrelated disease. Tumourectomy, axillary dissection and postoperative radiotherapy is an acceptable regimen for early carcinoma of the breast.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology and Surgery, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: R Y
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Alvandi
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Solomon
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Renwick
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Donovan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001365:Axilla; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D015412:Mastectomy, Segmental; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors