[Postoperative radiotherapy with the electron beam in breast cancer]

The usefulness of postoperative radiotherapy for breast cancer was investigated in 152 patients. A dose of 50 Gy was given to the axillar, supraclavicular and internal mammary lymphnode areas using a 12 MeV electron and to the chest wall using a 6 MeV electron. The five and 10-year survival rates were 79.1% and 50.8%, respectively. The five-year survival rates according to the TNM staging were 100% for stage I, 78.4% for stage II, 58.8% for stage III and 0% for stage IV. The local recurrence rate was 8.8%, the metastasis rate was 33.1% and the recurrence rate in the ipsilateral supraclavicular regions previously treated by prophylactic irradiation was 2.6%, while it was 8.9% in the ipsilateral chest wall.