Postoperative radiotherapy in N- breast cancer. A retrospective case-control study

The role of postoperative radiotherapy in N- breast cancer with centrally or medially located tumors is still controversial. The authors report the results of a retrospective non-randomized case-control study of T1-2 N- breast cancer patients with centrally or medically located tumors, treated or not with postoperative radiotherapy after radical mastectomy. Sixty-four patients were treated with postoperative radiotherapy (Co-60) to the internal mammary chain and supraclavicular nodes. Sixty-four control cases, matched by T size and site, N status, age and menstrual status and simply followed-up after radical mastectomy were selected. No significant differences in actuarial recurrence and NED survival rates were observed at 5 years in the 2 compared groups, thus indicating that postoperative radiotherapy for patients with N- centrally or medially located breast cancers is not worthwhile treatment policy.