title: [Should chest wall irradiation be included after mastectomy and negative node breast cancer?].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to evaluate local failure patterns in node negative breast cancer patients treated with post-mastectomy radiotherapy including internal mammary chain only.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of 92 internal or central-breast node-negative tumours with mastectomy and external irradiation of the internal mammary chain at the dose of 50 Gy, from 1994 to 1998.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Local recurrence rate was 5 % (five cases). Recurrence sites were the operative scare and chest wall. Factors associated with increased risk of local failure were age < or = 40 years and tumour size greater than 20mm, without statistical significance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Post-mastectomy radiotherapy should be discussed for a sub-group of node-negative patients with predictors factors of local failure such as age < or = 40 years and larger tumour size.
authors.affiliation: Service de radiothérapie-oncologie, institut Salah-Azaiz, boulevard du 9 avril, 1006 Bab-Saadoun, Tunis, Tunisie. chiraz_ammar@yahoo.com
authors.forename: C N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Ben Ammar
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kochbati
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chraeit
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amrouche
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gargouri
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Frikha
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Besbes
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Abdallah
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maalej
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008408:Mastectomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011878:Radiotherapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D035441:Thoracic Wall