IMPORTANCE OF TIMING OF RADIOTHERAPY IN BREAST-CONSERVING TREATMENT FOR EARLY-STAGE BREAST-CANCER

This study reports on the treatment results in 508 patients with 514 A JCC stage I-II invasive breast carcinomas treated between July 1980 an d July 1989. All patients underwent a lumpectomy with axillary lymph n ode dissection with postoperative irradiation. Adjuvant chemotherapy w as given to premenopausal node-positive patients. Postmenopausal node- positive patients received adjuvant hormonal treatment. The median fol low-up period was 68 months (range, 40-152 months). The 5-year surviva l rates were 92.6%, 81.4% and 65.5% for stage I, stage IIA and stage I IB, respectively. Distant metastases were the main cause of death. Loc oregional failures occurred in 4.9%. Breast recurrences were detected in 17 patients (3.3%). In a Cox proportional hazards analysis, T-stage , pathological margins and interval between surgery and radiotherapy w ere identified as independent factors predictive of breast recurrence (p < 0.05). The results suggest that radiotherapy should be initiated early after surgery to maintain the breast recurrence rate as low as p ossible.