title: Local recurrences after conservative treatment of ductal carcinoma-in-situ of the breast without radiotherapy: the effect of age.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The main goal in treatment of ductal carcinoma-in-situ (DCIS) of the breast is to prevent local recurrences. Radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery has been shown to decrease the recurrence rate, although whether all patients should be treated with radiotherapy remains a topic of debate. The aim of this study was to assess the local recurrence rate after conservative surgical treatment of DCIS without radiotherapy and to identify risk factors for local recurrence.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 499 female patients with 502 DCIS lesions treated in the period 1989 to 2002 were retrospectively reviewed. Survival rates were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method, and differences were tested by using the log-rank test. The association of variables with local recurrence was analyzed by using the chi2 test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment constituted of lumpectomy in 329 patients (65%). Thirty-eight patients (8%) had disease-positive margins, and for 41 patients (8%) the margin status was not known. Eighty tumors recurred, for a local recurrence rate of 13% after 4 years compared with 17% for patients treated with breast-conserving surgery only. Risk factors for ipsilateral recurrences were younger age (< 50 years), treatment with breast-conserving surgery only, and presence of disease-involved surgical margins.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Conservative treatment of DCIS results in high recurrences rates, and outcomes can be improved by performing more radical surgery. Because radiotherapy has been shown to be effective in preventing recurrent disease, and, to date, no subgroups have been identified in which radiation can be omitted, its use is recommended, especially in younger patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University Medical Centre Utrecht, P.O. Box 85500, 3508, GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Arjan P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Schouten van der Velden
authors.forename: Petra H M
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Peeters
authors.forename: Veronica C M
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Koot
authors.forename: Adriaan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hennipman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D015412:Mastectomy, Segmental; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome