Combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy for patients with breast cancer and extensive nodal involvement.
OBJECTIVE
This retrospective review examines local control, freedom from distant failure, and survival for patients with nonmetastatic breast cancer with extensive nodal disease (> 10 nodes, 45 patients; or > or = 70% involved nodes, if < 10 nodes found, 19 patients). All patients received chemotherapy and radiotherapy following mastectomy.


METHODS
Sixty-four patients were treated between January 1980 and December 1988 at Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW Australia. The median follow-up duration for surviving patients was 91.5 months (range, 56 to 121). The median age was 51 years, and the median number of positive nodes was 11. Four successive protocols evolved, each with three phases, as follows: induction chemotherapy (doxorubicin or mitoxantrone, plus cyclophosphamide; three cycles), radiotherapy (50 Gy in 25 fractions to chest wall and regional nodes), then chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil [CMF]) of progressively shorter duration. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy were concurrent in the fourth regimen.


RESULTS
One patient (1.5%) developed local recurrence before distant relapse, and seven patients (11%) developed local and/or regional recurrence simultaneously or after distant relapse. The 5-year actuarial freedom from distant relapse and overall survival rates were 45% and 65%, respectively. Overall survival did not vary significantly by menopausal status, nodal subgroup, or dose-intensity. There were no treatment-related deaths.


CONCLUSIONS
Combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy in standard dosage is an acceptable approach following mastectomy for patients with extensive nodal involvement at high risk for local recurrence and distant relapse. This approach should be considered standard best therapy for any randomized trials that examine high-dose chemotherapy or bone marrow transplantation for this subgroup of patients.
Department of Radiation Oncology, Westmead Hospital, Australia.
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Ung
A O
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Langlands
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Barraclough
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J
Boyages
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000628:therapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008408:Mastectomy; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D008942:Mitoxantrone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D008942:Mitoxantrone; D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil; D008727:Methotrexate