Prognosis and role of postmastectomy radiotherapy in patients with T1-T2 breast cancer with one to three positive axillary nodes

Purpose: To evaluate the prognosis and role of postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) in T1-T2 breast cancer with one to three positive axillary nodes. Methods: The 10-year Kaplan-Meier locoregional recurrence (LRR), distant recurrence (DR), disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared between the NO and 1-3N+ cohorts. The role of PMRT was evaluated in the 1-3N+ cohort. Results: The 10-year LRR, DR, DFS, OS rates in NO and the 1-3N+ cohorts were as follows: LRR 7.5% vs 19.4% (p = 0.011); DR 14.4% vs 23.0% (p = 0.029); DFS 71.3% vs 51.2% (p = 0.001) and OS 77.0% vs 58.7% (p = 0.001). Of the 192 1-3N+ patients not treated and treated with PMRT, the outcomes were: LRR 20.1% vs 18.4% (p = 0.047); DR 26.4% vs 21.5% (p = 0.743); DFS 40.2% vs 55.4% (p = 0.260) and OS 40.7% vs 66.0% (p = 0.344), respectively. Conclusion: PMRT reduces the 10-year LRR rate for such patients, but further examination is needed.

Postmastectomy radiotherapy; Breast cancer; Positive axillary nodes

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