Evaluation of effectiveness of irradiation of scar after radical mastectomy in patients with breast cancer

The authors report the results of an analysis of recurrences in postoperative scar in patients with breast cancer for evaluation of the effectiveness of postoperative radiotherapy. In a group of 423 cases recurrences in scar were observed in 51 (12.1%). In the group of patients who had been given postoperative radiotherapy to the scar the frequency of recurrences was lower (8.1%) as compared with the group treated only surgically (16.5%), in the group treated by preoperative radiotherapy it was high (17.1%) and in the group with postoperative radiotherapy given only to regional lymph nodes it was even higher (18.0%). The results of analysis indicate the effectiveness of postoperative radiotherapy to the scar. (author)