Influence of parasternal radiotherapy for breast carcinoma on thoracic vertebral metastases

A retrospective study was performed of 109 women who had died with breast carcinoma metastatic to bone. Both radiologically demonstrated metastases and the requirement for palliative radiotherapy to the upper two thirds of the thoracic spine occurred significantly less in those patients who had received exit dose irradiation to this region from parasternal radiotherapy given for apparently localised disease. This finding is in agreement with a previous report that such low dose irradiation can exert a clinically important effect on minimal metastatic disease. Systemic (double hemi-body) radiotherapy might be an effective and quick adjuvant treatment for patients with breast carcinoma.