[Post-mastectomy radiotherapy with different fractionated dose schemes in early breast cancer].
OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of post-mastectomy radiotherapy with different fractionated dose schemes for early breast cancer.


METHODS
From January 1987 to January 1993, 367 patients with early breast cancer were given post-mastectomy radiotherapy with three different fractionated dose schemes. 149 patients received conventional radiotherapy with 50 Gy/25 fractions/5 weeks (Group A). 177 patients received 45 Gy/15 fractions/5 weeks (Group B). Forty-one patients were treated with 23 Gy/4 fractions/17 days (Group C). 257 patients received systemic therapy (chemotherapy and/or endocrine therapy).


RESULTS
The overall 5-year survival and 5-year disease-free survival rates were 87.4% and 89.6%. The 5-year disease-free survival rate were 90.8%, 86.5% and 84.6% for A, B and C groups (P = 0.16). The corresponding loco-regional failure rates were 2.7%, 2.8% and 2.4%, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the local control and efficacy of the three groups.


CONCLUSIONS
With similar 5-year tumor-free survival rates by the conventional fractionation and hypofractionation, the scheme with 45 Gy/15 fractions/5 weeks has the advantage of giving less factions, which is suitable for a unit with limited radiation resources. The course of hypofractionation with 23 Gy/4 fractions/17 days is much shorter than conventional radiotherapy, which may benefit patients with higher risk of metastasis who need to undergo chemotherapy earlier. This study warrants further investigations.
Wu
Jun-xin
JX
Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Institute (Hospital), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
Hui
Zhou-guang
ZG
Li
Ye-xiong
YX
Yu
Zi-hao
ZH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D019583:Dose Fractionation, Radiation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008408:Mastectomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D015996:Survival Rate