Treatment results of adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy in breast cancer patients with positive axillary nodes

Between January 1983 and December 1988, 218 female patients with known breast cancer and positive axillary nodes were treated with adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy following radical mastectomy. Treatment results were retrospectively analysed at the Department of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University of College of Medicine. The patients were classified into 3 groups; group 1 included 80 patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy alone; in group 2, 52 patients treated with radiotherapy alone; and in group 3, 86 patients treated with combined chemo-radiotherapy. The mean age was 44 years and ranged from 27 to 70. The median follow-up time was 51 months. Seven-year relapse free and overall survival rates were 56% and 67%; in group 1, 50% and 56%; in group 2, 51% and 65%; and in group 3, 62% and 75% respectively. This difference was not statistically significant(p<0.05). The loco-regional failure rates were 13% and distant failure rates were 33%. There was less risk of loco-regional failure in group 2 and 3 which included radiotherapy (.0<0.05). But there was no significant y difference in the rates of distant failure(p>0.05). By univariate analysis, the only significant prognostic factor affecting relapse-free survival was the percentage of positive axillary nodes; and the overall survival significantly correlated with the primary tumor size, the number or percentage of positive axillary nodes, and stage. But in multivariate analysis, the only significant prognostic factor was treatment modality. By univariate analysis of prognostic factors affecting the rates of overall failure and distant failure, the significant prognostic factors was the percentage of positive axillary nodes; and the risk of the loco-regional failure significantly correlated with the treatment modality. In conclusion, these results suggest a potential for decreasing the risk of loco-regional failure with the addition of postoperative radiotherapy to chemotherapy in the premenopausal patients, and in the patients with number or percentage of positive nodes more than 4 or 1/3. The results of this study suggest that the combined chemo-radiotherapy as adjuvant treatment following radical mastectomy was the most effective modality in groups of 2-5 cm sized tumor, stage 11B, and in patients with more than 4 or 1/3 of number or percentage of positive nodes