2Department of Radiation Oncology, Ondokuz Mayıs University Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul-Turkey
3Department of Radiation Oncology, İstanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul-Turkey
4Department of Radiation Oncology, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul-Turkey
5Department of Radiation Oncology, Kartal Dr. Lütfi Kırdar Education and Research Hospital, İstanbul-Turkey
6Department of Radiation Oncology, Eskişehir Osmangazi University Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul-Turkey
7Department of Radiation Oncology, Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul-Turkey
8Department of Radiation Oncology, Bezmialem Foundation University Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul-Turkey
9Department of Radiation Oncology, Yakın Doğu University Faculty of Medicine, Nicosia, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus DOI : 10.5505/tjo.2019.1955 OBJECTIVE
Recent meta-analysis have not revealed any positive effects of postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) on locoregional recurrence (LRR) or overall survival in axilla-negative patients. However, risk of LRR increases to 15% in the presence of two or more adverse factors for the same patient group. In this study, PMRT indications and volume selections of radiation oncologists in Turkey for axilla-negative breast cancer was investigated.
METHODS
Questionnaires were distributed to members of the breast cancer study group. Data of patients with axillary
negative or isolated/micrometastasis and PMRT over 10 years (2006?2016) were collected from 10
participating centers. Clinical and tumor histopathological features and treatment details of 185 patients
were analyzed.
RESULTS
The median age of patients was 48 years. Ratio of early-stage patients was 60% (T1-15%,T2-45%). There
were 147 (79%) negative cases, 32 (17%) with micrometastasis, and 6 (3%) with isolated tumor cells.
Half of the patients had only their chest walls (CW) irradiated. Peripheral lymphatics were also included
in the rest. In Nmic cases, ratio of irradiation of supraclavicular and axillary lymph nodes with CW were
statistically significant compared to CW irradiation (72% and 28%, respectively; p=0.015).
CONCLUSION
Considering the low number of patients treated over 10 years in 10 different centers in Turkey, it can be
said that PMRT is often done in node-negative breast cancer. It is difficult to reach a definite conclusion
for patients with Nmic, due to lack of data from patients with PMRT. However, the general tendency is
to irradiate peripheral lymphatics in Nmic cases if PMRT is to be performed.