Optimal radiotherapy for patients with internal mammary lymph node metastasis from breast cancer

This study aimed to determine the optimal radiotherapy (RT) regimen for patients with clinical metastasis to the internal mammary lymph node (cIMN+) from breast cancer.

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 84 patients with cIMN+ breast cancer treated with curative surgery, taxane-based chemotherapy, and postoperative RT between January 2009 and December 2014. Postoperative RT was administered to the whole breast or chest wall using 50 Gy in 2 Gy fractions. Boost RT to the internal mammary lymph node (IMN) was administered at the physician's discretion. We categorized patients into two groups according to the IMN dose as follows: low-dose IMN RT (50.0-63.5 Gy) and high-dose IMN RT (63.6-70.4 Gy).

After a median follow-up of 58 months (range, 12-111 months), IMN recurrence was observed in 2 patients (2.4%), and all IMN recurrences developed simultaneously with distant metastases. The 5-year locoregional recurrence-free survival, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival rates were 89.1, 72.0, and 81.2%, respectively. The triple-negative subtype, IMN size ≥1.0 cm, old age, and low-dose IMN were significantly associated with poor DFS. Among the patients with IMN size ≥1.0 cm, the 5-year DFS was significantly higher in those treated with high-dose IMN RT than in those treated with low-dose IMN RT (69.3% vs. 33.3%, p = 0.019).

IMN RT without IMN dissection resulted in favorable outcomes in cIMN+ breast cancer. For patients with a large IMN, a higher IMN radiation dose might be needed for disease control.