Clinical application of integrated treatments in breast cancer

In this paper we analyse the problems related to the "state of the art" in the treatment of stage I and II breast cancer which has become, in Italy too, an increasingly prominent problem: it is the most frequently diagnosed female cancer, accounting for about 45,000 new cases/year (150/100,000 women). In the last decade the approach to this disease has greatly evolved because of new surgical techniques, advances in adjuvant medical therapies, innovations in the field of radiotherapy, and wider use of biological parameters. We emphasize the emerging problem of ductal and lobular carcinoma in situ, because their biological patterns will be better identified and the related treatment extensively practiced in the next future. The innovations in surgery, which has now a less demolishing role, are reviewed focusing on the "sentinel axillary node" and the actual need for axillary dissection. In relation to chemotherapy (CT), we evaluate the role of adjuvant treatment also in node negative patients, and the impact of neoadjuvant schedules on survival and toxicity. Radiotherapy (RT) is complementary to conservative surgery, and its important role in preventing local relapse and in increasing OS (overall survival) has been established; recent and more sophisticated techniques have reduced its acute and late toxicity. We are however waiting for answers concerning the usefulness of a booster dose, the impact of RT on local relapse in DCIS, and the impact of RT to the breast regional lymph nodes on OS and disease-free survival (DFS). The optimal sequencing and timing of postoperative RT and CT are unknown, both concerning each other and surgery. Some possibilities include giving all planned CT before RT, all CT after RT, giving both concurrently, or giving a portion of CT before RT and then completing CT afterwards (sandwich technique): we analyse the advantages and the problems of these different therapeutic schedules in relation to the OS, the DFS and cosmesis. In conclusion, there are very few certainties to guide us in the clinical practice: the general feeling is that we need to collect more data on homogeneous groups of patients to better understand which are the prognostic factors we can rely on, in order to choose the best treatment strategy, and which are the optimal schedules of adjuvant treatments (CT and RT), with the aim of improving OS, DFS and cosmesis.