Radiology, Vol 121, 455-459, Copyright © 1976 by Radiological Society of North America
Local control of breast cancer with tumorectomy plus radiotherapy or radiotherapy alone
NA Ghossein, P Stacey, RT Alpert, PJ Ager and V Krishnaswamy
58 cases of breast cancer treated primarily by radiotherapy were evaluated
to determine the optimum dose for local control. Of 36 patients with T1 +
T2 lesions who had tumorectomy prior to radiotherapy, incomplete excision
of tumor was demonstrated on microscopic examination in 18. The minimum
tumor dose to the breast was 4,500 rads in 5 weeks. Treatment failed to
control local tumor in only 2 (5%) and metastases in 1.26 (72%) remained
disease-free for 2 to 9 years. Of the 22 patients with T3 + T4 lesions,
treatment failed to control both local tumor and metastases in 12 (54%); in
those who received 6,000 rads or less in 6 weeks, treatment failed to
control any of these lesions. 4,500-5,500 rads controlled the tumor in 95%
of those with NO + N1 disease, compared to only half of those with N2 + N3
tumors.
