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Published on: July 3, 2014
True local recurrence rate in the conserved breast after magnetic resonance imaging-targeted radiotherapy
Elisabeth Whipp1, Mark Beresford, Elinor Sawyer
1University Bristol Hospitals Trust, Marlborough Street, Bristol BS1 3NU, United Kingdom. liz@lizwhipp.com
Purpose:
Better accuracy of local radiotherapy may substantially improve local control and thus long-term breast cancer survival. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has high resolution and sensitivity in breast tissue and may depict the tumor bed more accurately than conventional planning techniques. A postoperative complex (POCx) comprises all visible changes thought to be related to surgery within the breast and acts as a surrogate for the tumor bed. This study reports on local recurrence rates after MRI-assisted radiotherapy planning to ensure adequate coverage of the POCx.
Methods And Materials:
Simple opposed tangential fields were defined by surface anatomy in the conventional manner in 221 consecutive patients. After MRI, fields were modified by a single radiation oncologist to ensure encompassment of the POCx with a 10-mm margin. Genetic analysis was performed on all local relapses (LRs) to distinguish true recurrences (TRs) from new primaries (NPs).
Results:
This was a high risk cohort at 5 years: only 9.5% were classified as low risk (St Gallen): 43.4% were Grade 3 and 19.9% had surgical margins <1 mm; 62.4% of patients received boosts. Adjustments of standard field margins were required in 69%. After a median follow-up of 5 years, there were 3 LRs (1.3%) as the site of first relapse in 221 patients, comprising two TRs (0.9%) and one NP (0.4%).
Conclusions:
Accurate targeting of the true tumor bed is critical. MRI may better define the tumor bed.
