title: Detection of local recurrence following breast-conserving treatment in young women with early breast cancer: optimization of long-term follow-up strategies.
abstract: The detection of a local recurrence (LR) in young women with breast cancer after breast-conserving treatment (BCT) was investigated to compare the impact of different long-term follow-up strategies. Between 1988 and 2005, 937 women aged ≤40 years were treated with BCT for early-stage breast cancer in the southern part of the Netherlands. Up to October 2009, 152 had developed an isolated LR. Information on follow-up visits was available for 124 of them. Fifty-four LRs (44%) were diagnosed within 5 years and 70 (56%) more than 5 years after BCT. Fifty-six LRs (45%) were detected during routine follow-up visits and 68 (55%) presented between two visits. Sixty-six LRs (53%) were diagnosed in patients reporting symptoms. In 31 patients (25%) the LR was found by mammography alone. About a quarter of the LRs was larger than 2 cm in diameter. These results imply that current follow-up strategies for young women with BCT do not guarantee a timely detection of LR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Catharina Hospital, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Maurice J C
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: van der Sangen
authors.forename: Sanne W M
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Scheepers
authors.forename: Philip M P
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Poortmans
authors.forename: Ernest J T
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Luiten
authors.forename: Grard A P
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Nieuwenhuijzen
authors.forename: Adri C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Voogd
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D015412:Mastectomy, Segmental; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D009819:Office Visits; D011159:Population Surveillance; D013997:Time Factors; D047368:Tumor Burden; D055815:Young Adult