Local recurrences and distant metastases after breast-conserving surgery and radiation therapy for early breast cancer

Purpose: To identify predicting factors for local failure and increased ris k of distant metastases by statistical analysis of the data after breast-co nserving treatment for early breast cancer. Methods and Materials: Between January 1976 and December 1993, 528 patients with nonmetastatic T1 (tumors less than or similar to 1 cm [n = 197], > 1 cm [n = 220]) or T2 (tumors less than or equal to 3 cm [n = 111]) carcinoma of the breast underwent wide excision (n = 435) or quadrantectomy (n = 93) with axillary dissection (negative nodal status [n-]: 396; 1-3 involved no des: 100; > 3 involved nodes: 32). Radiotherapy consisted of 45 Gy to the e ntire breast via tangential fields. Patients with positive axillary lymph n odes received 45 Gy to the axillary and supraclavicular area. Patients with positive axillary nodes and/or inner or central tumor locations received 5 0 Gy to the internal mammary lymph node area. A boost dose was delivered to the primary site by iridium 192 implant in 298 patients (mean total dose: 15.2 +/- 0.07 Gy, range: 15-25 Gy) or by electrons in 225 patients (mean to tal dose: 14.8 +/- 0.09 Gy, range: 5-20 Gy). The mean age was 52.5 +/- 0.5 Sears (range: 26-86 years) and 267 patients were postmenopausal. Histologic types were as follows: 463 infiltrating ductal carcinomas, 39 infiltrating lobular carcinomas, and 26 other histotypes. Grade distribution according to the Scarff, Bloom, and Richardson (SBR) classification was as follows: 1 49 grade 1, 271 grade 2, 73 grade 3, and 35 nonclassified. The mean tumor s ize was 1.6 +/- 0.3 cm (range: 0.3-3 cm). The intraductal component of the primary tumor was extensive (EIC = IC greater than or equal to 25%) in 39 p atients. Tumors were microscopically bifocal in 33 cases. Margins were asse ssed in the majority of cases by inking of the resection margins and were c lassified as positive in 13 cases, close (less than or equal to 2 mm) in 21 , negative (> 2 mm tumor-free margin) in 417, and indeterminate in 77. Peri tumoral vascular invasion was observed in 40 patients. Tamoxifen was admini stered for at least 2 years in 176 patients. At least six cycles of adjuvan t systemic chemotherapy were administered in 116 patients. The mean follow- up period from the beginning of the treatment was 84.5 +/- 1.7 months. Results: First events included 44 isolated local recurrences, 8 isolated ax illary node recurrences, 44 isolated distant metastases, 1 local recurrence with synchronous axillary node recurrence, 7 local recurrences with synchr onous metastases, and 2 local recurrences with synchronous axillary node re currences and distant metastases. Of 39 pathologically evaluable local recu rrences, 33 were classified as true local recurrences and 6 as ipsilateral new primary carcinomas. Seventy patients died (47 of breast carcinoma, 4 of other neoplastic diseases, 10 of other diseases and 9 of unknown causes). The 5- and 10-year rates were, respectively: specific survival 93% and 86%, disease-free survival 85% and 75%, distant metastasis 8.5% and 14%, and lo cal recurrence 7% and 14%. Mean intervals from the beginning of treatment f or local recurrence or distant metastases were, respectively, 60 +/- 6 mont hs (median: 47 months, range: 6-217 months) and 49.5 +/- 5.4 months (median : 33 months, range: 6-217 months). After local recurrence, salvage mastecto my was performed in 46 patients (85%) and systemic hormonal therapy and/or chemotherapy was administered to 43 patients. The 5-year specific survival rate after treatment for local recurrence was 78 +/- 8.2%. Multivariate ana lysis (multivariate generalization of the proportional hazards model) showe d that the probability of local control was decreased by the following four independent factors: young age (less than or equal to 40 yr vs. > 40 Sr; r elative risk [RR]: 3.15, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.7-5.8, p = 0.0002) , premenopausal status (pre vs. post; RR: 2.9, 95% CI: 1.4-6, p = 0.0048), bifocality (univs. bifocal; RR: 2.7, 95% CI: 2.6-2.8, p = 0.018), and exten sive intraductal component(IC < 25% vs. IC greater than or equal to 25%; RR : 2.6, 95% CI: 1.3-5.2, p 0.0075). However, the probability of distant meta static spread was increased by three different independent factors: the num ber of involved axillary nodes (RR: 2.2, 95% CI: 1.3-3.8, p = 0.0039), high histologic grade (1 vs. 2 vs. 3; RR: 2, 95% CI: 1.4-3.2, p = 0.00074), iso lated local recurrence (no vs. yes; RR: 9.9, 95% CI: 5.5-18, p = 1.8 10(-14 )). Peritumoral vascular invasion significantly influenced the probability of distant metastases in univariate analysis (p = 0.0036) but was not an in dependent factor in multivariate analysis. Five-year specific survival afte r local recurrence was influenced only by disease-free interval from the be ginning of treatment to local recurrence (less than or equal to 2 years vs. > 2 years; RR: 4.8, 95% CI: 1.2-19, p = 0.026). Conclusions: In this series, the risk of distant metastases increased with increased incidence of isolated local recurrences, However, the predicting factors for local recurrence and distant metastases seemed to differ. In ad dition, after local recurrence, the disease-free interval from the beginnin g of treatment to local recurrence influenced specific survival. (C) 1998 E lsevier Science Inc.