Adjuvant tamoxifen versus radiation therapy after conservative surgery for elderly and frail patients with low risk breast cancer

ABSTRACT

Fourty seven postmenopausal women with primary early breast cancer were submitted to lumpectomy and axillary dissection. Twenty two patients received postoperative radiation therapy [Group A] and 25 patients were treated postoperatively with the antiestrogen tamoxifen only [group B]. The relapse-free-survival [RFS] was 95% and 100% for groups A and B, respectively, at 18 months, while at 22 months the RFS rate was 91% and 96% for both groups, respectively. At 32 months, the RFS rate was 86% and 84% for both groups, respectively. The difference was statistically insignificant. It was concluded that conservative breast surgery in elderly and frail patients presented with early breast cancer could be followed by postoperative tamoxifen with an almost equal results in maintaining a solid RFS as that achieved with postoperative radiotherapy provided they are low risk, having T1 or T2 tumors. No status and low pathology grade