Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 15, 2026
Voluntary Breath-hold Technique for Reducing Heart Dose in Left Breast Radiotherapy
Published on: July 3, 2014
Postmastectomy radiation for N2/N3 breast cancer: factors associated with low compliance rate
Quyen D Chu1, Gloria Caldito2, J Karen Miller3
1Department of Surgery, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA; Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA.
Background:
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network and American Society of Clinical Oncology guidelines recommend postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) for women with N2/N3 breast cancer. We examined the compliance rate of PMRT using the National Cancer Data Base and determined what factors are associated with low compliance rate with PMRT.
Study Design:
The National Cancer Data Base, comprising 2,720,368 breast cancer cases diagnosed between 1998 and 2011, was evaluated. From this database, 56,990 women with N2/N3 diseases were evaluated. Statistics used include chi-square test, 2-sample t-test or Wilcoxon rank-sum test, and multivariate analysis.
Results:
Mean age of the patients was 58 years and median follow-up was 61 months. The majority of patients were from a comprehensive community cancer programs (59%), were Caucasian (81%), had health insurance (96%), resided in urban communities (98%), and had no comorbidities (83%). Approximately 82% received chemotherapy, but only 65% had PMRT. Factors associated with PMRT are tumor grade (p = 0.03), regional lymph node surgery (p = 0.03), readmission within 30 days of surgical discharge (p = 0.03), receipt of chemotherapy (p < 0.01) and hormonal therapy (p < 0.01), and 30-day mortality (p < 0.01). Socioeconomic variables, such as facility type (p = 0.85), facility geographic location (p = 0.27), race/ethnicity (p = 0.12), insurance status (p = 0.10), income level (p = 0.43), education level (p = 0.86), residential location (p = 0.83), and comorbidities (p = 0.83) were not contributory factors. Independent variables predicting compliance with PMRT include receipt of chemotherapy (odds ratio = 4.55; p < 0.01), readmission within 30 days after surgery (odds ratio = 1.14; p = 0.01), and alive within 30 days after surgery (odds ratio = 1.55; p = 0.04).
Conclusions:
One third of patients with N2/N3 disease did not receive PMRT. Socioeconomic variables were not contributory factors. Noncompliance with PMRT is related to lack of receipt of chemotherapy, nonreadmission, or death within 30 days after surgery.
