Manchester regional breast study--5 and 10 year results

Patients with early breast cancer (n = 1022) were treated between March 1970 and October 1975 in a prospective clinical trial. The results are presented after follow-up of 5-10 years. Clinical stage I cancer cases (n = 714) were randomly allocated to treatment by simple mastectomy and postoperative radiotherapy, or simple mastectomy alone. There was no statistically significant difference in overall survival between the two groups. There was a significant reduction in the frequency of local recurrence in those who received early postoperative radiotherapy compared with those who did not. Clinical stage II cancer cases (n = 308) were randomly allocated to treatment by simple mastectomy and postoperative radiotherapy or radical mastectomy alone. There was no statistically significant difference in survival or in the frequency of local recurrence between the two groups.