Breast conserving surgery for breast cancer: Single institutional experience from Southern India.

Context: In India, breast conservation rates vary anywhere from 11 to 34%. This is in contrast to western world where breast conservation rates exceed 70% for early breast cancer. Aims: The present study was conducted to analyze the results of breast conservation surgery (BCS) at our institute and compare with that of other facilities in world. Settings and Design: The study was a prospective, outcome analysis study. All patients who underwent BCS were included. Data pertaining to clinical, pathological characteristics and treatment related outcomes were recorded. Materials and Methods: The study comprised of retrospective collection of prospective data of 88 patients who underwent breast conservation treatment (BCT) till December 2009. Statistical Analysis Used: The statistical analysis included Kaplan-Meier survival analysis for disease-free (DFS) and overall survivals (OS), and univariate analyses to assess each prognostic factor separately using SPSS 16.0 for windows. Results: Most common tumor location was upper outer quadrant and most common histology was infiltrating duct carcinoma. Median age was 45 years. Eighteen patients received preoperative chemotherapy to conserve the breast. Pathological complete response (pCR) in this subgroup was 39%. Majority had node negative disease and 42 tumors were hormone receptor positive. Median follow-up was 49 months. Two patients developed isolated local recurrences which were salvaged surgically. Seven patients had systemic disease of which 5 had simultaneously failed locally. Overall 5-year DFS was 89 %. Conclusions: When given an option, patients with breast cancer do desire to conserve their breast.

Risk Factors for Recurrence after Conservative Treatment in Early Breast Cancer: Preliminary Report / 대한치료방사선과학회지

PURPOSE: To evaluate our experience in the breast-conserving treatment for early breast cancer with special regard to recurrence pattern and related risk factors. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Two hundred and sixteen patients with AJC stagei and ii breast cancer who received breast conserving treatment between January 1991 and December 1994 were evaluated. Age distribution ranged from 23-80 year old with a median age of 44. One hundred and seventeen patients had T1 lesions and 99 patients had T2 lesions. Axillary lymph nodes were involved in 73 patients. All patients received a breast conserving surgery (wide excision to quadrantectomy) and axillary node dissection followed by radiotherapy. Ninety six patients received chemotherapy before or after radiotherapy. RESULTS: During the follow-up period (3-60 months, median 30 months), local recurrences were noted in six patients (true; 3, elsewhere; 1, skin; 2). Sixteen patients developed distant metastases as the first sign of recurrence at 8-38 months (median 20 months) after surgery. Among them, three patients simultaneously developed local recurrence with distant metastases. Contralateral breast cancer developed in one patient and non-mammary cancers developed in three patients. The actuarial 5 year survival rate was 88.4% (stage i 96.7%, stage iia 95.2%, stage iib 69.9%). Age, T stage, number of involved axillary lymph nodes, and AJC stage were risk factors for distant metastases in univariate analysis. In the multivariate analysis, the number of involved axillary lymph nodes was the most significant risk factor for metastases. CONCLUSION: Local recurrence was not common in the early years after radiotherapy. Distant metastases occurred at a steady rate during the first three years and was more common in the patients with larger tumors, highernumber of involved axillary nodes, and younger age.