title: Conservative treatment of invasive lobular breast cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the efficacy of breast conserving surgery (BCS), followed by postoperative radiation treatment (RT), chemotherapy and/or hormonotherapy in patients with early invasive lobular breast cancer (ILC).
  
  
  METHODS
  48 patients with TNM stages I and II ILC of the breast were treated conservatively by BCS (quadrantectomy) and axillary dissection to levels I and II, followed by RT and adjuvant chemotherapy or hormonal treatment. In patients with pN0 the remaining breast with scar and chest were treated by RT, with a total radiation dose (TRD) of 50 Gy. In cases with pN1 the axilla was included to the described field with TRD 50 Gy. In patients with high risk factors (pT2, tumor necrosis, infiltration of the subcutaneous fat and of lymph and/or blood vessels) the tumor bed was boosted up to a TRD of 60 Gy. The 5 and 10- year cancer-specific and recurrence-free survival were calculated according to the Kaplan-Meyer life-table method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With a median observation period of 6.5 years (range 1.5-11.5 years) 2 (4.1%) patients developed local recurrence and 2 (4.1%) distant metastases. Ten-year cancer- specific and recurrence-free survival are 97% and 90%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The obtained good treatment results proved that the conservative treatment strategy in cases with ILC of the breast is a correct therapeutic choice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy, University Hospital "Queen Giovanna", Sofia, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marinova
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hadjieva
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vassileva