title: Conservative treatment of early-stage breast cancer in a medically indigent population.
abstract: The compliance with a program of breast-conservation treatment for early-stage breast cancer and the results of that treatment among women treated between January 1983 and January 1992 was investigated in a large inner-city public hospital serving a primarily black population. Medical records and charts were reviewed for 25 consecutive patients with stage I and II breast cancer seen in consultation in the radiation oncology department. Of those 25 patients, 20 underwent lumpectomy and radiation therapy. Survival, disease-free survival, and local recurrence-free survival were computed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Compliance was evaluated based on time to complete the prescribed course of radiotherapy after a lumpectomy. Five-year local recurrence-free survival for stage I and II patients was 95% (confidence interval [CI]: 71% to 99%). Five-year overall survival for stage II patients was 71% (CI: 31% to 92%), and disease-free survival was 74% (CI: 36% to 91%). This study demonstrates that a program of breast-conservation treatment for early-stage breast cancer can be implemented with good results, excellent treatment compliance, and 100% follow-up in a population of medically indigent women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Landry
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lynn
authors.forename: L W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Styblo
authors.forename: I R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Crocker
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Wood
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044383:Black People; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015412:Mastectomy, Segmental; D008489:Medical Indigency; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D014504:Urban Health