Fifteen year results of breast conservation therapy based on liberal patients selection criteria and less extensive surgery

Between January 1, 1983 and December 31, 1997, 1,748 breasts of 1,687 patients visited our clinic, requesting breast conservation therapy (BCT). Of these, 1,543 breasts were preserved. The only criterion for patient selection was whether she could be satisfied with cosmetic result after BCT. Lumpectomy was done in such a way to obtain macroscopically clear margin. After 1987, axillary dissection was omitted for those with clinically negative axillae. Postoperatively, most patients received 50 Gy of external irradiation to the whole breast via tangential ports. Boost was not given. Separate axillary or supraclavicular ports were seldom used. Adjuvant postoperative chemo or hormone therapy were administered if indicated. One thousand five hundred and thirty patients, excluding patients with bilateral cancers or stage IV constituted this study. Median follow-up length was 50 months. Two hundred and fourteen patients experienced recurrences, including 95 in-breast recurrences, 31 regional nodal recurrences and 146 distant failures. Five year overall survival: All patients: 93.4%. Stage 0: 100%, I: 96.6%., II: 92.8%. III: 66%. Five year distant disease free survival: Stage 0: 100%, I: 94.1%, II: 86.2%, III: 59.2%. Five year freedom from in-breast recurrence: Stage 0: 84.1%, I: 94.0%, II: 93%, III: 90%. Positive margin, premenopausal state and multicentric tumors were judged to be independent risk factors for in-breast recurrence, but tumor size, location, nipple-tumor distance, EIC, receptor status and lymphatic permeation were not. Five year freedom from axillary recurrence: Axillary dissection 98.4%, axillary irradiation 97%. (K.H.)