Is there a role for axillary irradiation following adequate surgical evacuation in node positive breast cancer patients

ABSTRACT

A total of 461 node positive female breast cancer cases were studied following mastectomy and axillary evacuation of at least 10 nodes. None were given axillary irradiation irrespective of the number of metastatic nodes or the presence of extracapsular infiltration. At a medium follow up period of 345 months [range 24 to 48 months] axillary recurrence occurred in 10 cases, of these, 7 patients had combined axillary and chest wall recurrences. Correlation of axillary recurrence with pathological type and grade, menstrual status, age and type of adjuvant systemic therapy were not found to be statistically significant. Symptomatic arm edema occurred in 6 patients, all were associated with axillary recurrence. In conclusion, postoperative axillary irradiation with its attending morbidity can be safely omitted in breast cancer patients following adequate axillary lymph node dissection as it does not improved loco-regional control