title: Conservative surgery with and without radiotherapy in elderly patients with early-stage breast cancer: a prospective randomised multicentre trial.
abstract: Breast conserving therapy (BCT) including postoperative irradiation of the remaining breast tissue is generally accepted as the best treatment for the majority of patients with early-stage breast cancer. The question is whether there is a necessity for irradiating all patients. Between 2001 and 2005, 749 women aged 55-75 years with infiltrating breast carcinoma were randomly assigned to breast conservative surgery, with or without radiotherapy (RT), to evaluate the incidence of in-breast recurrence (IBR). After 5 years of median follow-up, the cumulative incidence of IBR was 2.5% in the surgery-only arm and 0.7% in the surgery plus RT arm. There are no differences in terms of overall survival and distant disease-free survival. The preliminary evaluation suggests that breast irradiation after conservative surgery can be avoided without exposing these patients to an increased risk of distant-disease recurrence. Prolonged follow-up will further clarify the possible risks and late sequelae potentially induced by breast RT.
authors.affiliation: Breast Unit, Istituto Clinico Humanitas, via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tinterri
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gatzemeier
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Zanini
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Regolo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pedrazzoli
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rondini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Amanti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gentile
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taffurelli
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fenaroli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tondini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sacchetto
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sismondi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Murgo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Orlandi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cianchetti
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Andreoli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015412:Mastectomy, Segmental; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant