[Three Cases in Which Long-Term Survival Was Obtained by Irradiation for Postoperative Lymph Node Metastasis]

Case 1: Left total mastectomy was performed for a 58-year-old woman for diagnosis of left breast cancer. Seven years after surgery, left internal mammary node metastasis revealed. Irradiation was performed on the left chest wall and left supraclavicular area. Six months later, the lymph node swelling disappeared. Thereafter 8 years have passed without recurrence. Case 2: A 65-year-old man had a semi-emergency total gastrectomy for bleeding from gastric cancer. Three years after surgery, anterior pancreatic lymph node metastasis was detected. Radiation therapy was selected because his general condition was not so good. Three months later, lymph node swelling disappeared. Thereafter 4 and a half years have passed without recurrence. Case 3: A 67-year-old man underwent surgery for middle thoracic esophageal cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Seven months after surgery, left tracheobronchial lymph node metastasis was found. Irradiation was performed to bilateral supraclavicular area and mediastinum in combination with chemotherapy. Three months later, the lymph node normalized, and 6 and a half years have passed without recurrence. All 3 cases in this study were recurrences of regional lymph node. Radiation therapy may be effective for regional lymph node recurrence outside the dissected area or in areas that have been inadequately dissected.