title: Radiation therapy of early carcinoma of the breast without mastectomy.
abstract: The results of the treatment of 176 patients with early breast cancer, using radiation therapy without mastectomy are reported. The likelihood of local recurrence was 5% for Stage I patients and 7% for Stage II patients. Local control was significantly greater in those patients receiving and iridium implant (1/73 vs. 10/111, P less than .05). The cumulative survival probability at five years is 96% for Stage I and 68% for Stage II. Local control with good cosmetic results is greatly influenced by surgical and radiotherapeutic technique. Gross tumor resection with careful reapproximation of the breast tissue and well-placed incisions facilitates the radiation therapy. Homogeneous external beam radiation to the breast and draining lymph nodes (4500--5000 rads) and supplemental local radiation to the sites of the primary lesion (in this series using interstitial implantation) are recommended.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007495:Iridium; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D007495:Iridium