Primary breast lymphoma: patient profile, outcome and prognostic factors. A multicentre Rare Cancer Network study.
BACKGROUND
To asses the clinical profile, treatment outcome and prognostic factors in primary breast lymphoma (PBL).


METHODS
Between 1970 and 2000, 84 consecutive patients with PBL were treated in 20 institutions of the Rare Cancer Network. Forty-six patients had Ann Arbor stage IE, 33 stage IIE, 1 stage IIIE, 2 stage IVE and 2 an unknown stage. Twenty-one underwent a mastectomy, 39 conservative surgery and 23 biopsy; 51 received radiotherapy (RT) with (n = 37) or without (n = 14) chemotherapy. Median RT dose was 40 Gy (range 12-55 Gy).


RESULTS
Ten (12%) patients progressed locally and 43 (55%) had a systemic relapse. Central nervous system (CNS) was the site of relapse in 12 (14%) cases. The 5-yr overall survival, lymphoma-specific survival, disease-free survival and local control rates were 53%, 59%, 41% and 87% respectively. In the univariate analyses, favorable prognostic factors were early stage, conservative surgery, RT administration and combined modality treatment. Multivariate analysis showed that early stage and the use of RT were favorable prognostic factors.


CONCLUSIONS
The outcome of PBL is fair. Local control is excellent with RT or combined modality treatment but systemic relapses, including that in the CNS, occurs frequently.
Jeanneret-Sozzi
Wendy
W
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Rue du Bugnon, CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland. wendy.jeanneret@chuv.ch
Taghian
Alphonse
A
Epelbaum
Ron
R
Poortmans
Philip
P
Zwahlen
Daniel
D
Amsler
Beat
B
Villette
Sylviane
S
Belkacémi
Yazid
Y
Nguyen
Tan
T
Scalliet
Pierre
P
Maingon
Philippe
P
Gutiérrez
Cristina
C
Gastelblum
Pauline
P
Krengli
Marco
M
Raad
Rita Abi
RA
Ozsahin
Mahmut
M
Mirimanoff
René-Olivier
RO
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D018567:Breast Neoplasms, Male / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008408:Mastectomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011379:Prognosis; D011878:Radiotherapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents