Combined chemotherapy and preoperative irradiation for locally advanced noninflammatory breast cancer: updated results in a series of 120 patients.

PURPOSE: To evaluate our updated data concerning survival and locoregional control in a prospective study of locally advanced noninflammatory breast cancer (LABC) after primary chemotherapy (CT) followed by external preoperative irradiation (RT). METHODS AND MATERIALS: Between 1982 and 1998, 120 patients (75 Stage IIIA, 41 Stage IIIB, and 4 Stage IIIC according to AJCC staging system 2002) were treated by four courses of induction CT with anthracycline-containing combinations followed by preoperative RT (45 Gy to the breast and nodal areas) and a fifth course of CT. Three different locoregional approaches were proposed depending on tumor characteristics and tumor response. After completion of local therapy, all patients received a sixth course of CT and a maintenance adjuvant CT regimen without anthracycline. The median follow-up from the beginning of treatment was 140 months. RESULTS: Mastectomy and axillary dissection were performed in 49 patients (with residual tumor larger than 3 cm in diameter or located behind the nipple or with bifocal tumor), and conservative treatment in 71 patients (39 achieved clinical complete response or partial response >90% and received additional radiation boost to initial tumor bed; 32 had residual mass < or =3 cm in diameter and were treated by wide excision and axillary dissection followed by a boost to the excision site). Ten-year actuarial local failure rate was 13% after RT alone, 23% after wide excision and RT, and 4% after mastectomy (p = 0.1). After multivariate analysis, possibility of breast-conserving therapy was related to initial tumor size (<6 cm vs. > or =6 cm in diameter, p = 0.002). Ten-year overall metastatic disease-free survival rate was 61%. After multivariate analysis, metastatic disease-free survival rates were significantly influenced by clinical stage (Stage IIIA-B vs. IIIC, p = 0.0003), N-stage (N0 vs. N1-2a, and 3c, p = 0.017), initial tumor size (<6 cm vs. > or =6 cm in diameter, p = 0.008), and tumor response after induction CT and preoperative RT (clinically complete response + partial response vs. nonresponder, p = 0.0015). In the nonconservative breast treatment group, of the 32 patients with no change in clinical tumor size after induction CT, the 10-year metastatic disease-free survival rate was 59% with only one local relapse. Arm lymphedema was noted in 17% (14 of 81) after axillary dissection and in 2.5% (1 of 39) without axillary dissection. Cosmetic results were satisfactory in 70% of patients treated by RT alone and in 51.5% of patients after wide excision and RT. CONCLUSION: Despite the poor prognosis of patients with LABC resistant to primary anthracycline-based regimen, aggressive locoregional management using preoperative RT and mastectomy with axillary dissection offers a possibility of long-term survival with low local failure rate for patients without extensive nodal disease. On the other hand, the rate of local failure seems to be high in patients with clinical partial tumor response after induction CT and breast-conserving treatment combining preoperative RT and large wide excision.

Operable Stages IB and II cervical carcinomas: a retrospective study comparing preoperative uterovaginal brachytherapy and postoperative radiotherapy.

PURPOSE: To evaluate our data concerning prognostic factors and treatment toxicity in a series of operable cervical carcinomas. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Between May 1972 and January 1994, 414 patients with cervical carcinoma, staged according to the 1995 FIGO staging system (286 Stage IB1, 38 Stage IB2, 56 Stage IIA, and 34 Stage IIB with 1/3 proximal parametrial involvement), underwent radical hysterectomy with (n = 380) or without (n = 34) bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection (N+: n = 68). Group I included 168 patients who received postoperative radiation therapy (RT): 64 patients had low-dose-rate vaginal brachytherapy with a median total dose (MTD) of 50 Gy; 93 patients had external beam pelvic RT (EBPRT) with an MTD of 45 Gy over 5 weeks, followed by low-dose-rate vaginal brachytherapy (MTD: 20 Gy); and 11 patients had EBPRT alone (MTD: 50 Gy over 6 weeks). Group II included 246 patients treated with preoperative low-dose-rate uterovaginal brachytherapy (MTD: 65 Gy); 32 of these 246 patients also received postoperative EBPRT (MTD: 45 Gy over 5 weeks) delivered to the parametria and pelvic nodes. Mean follow-up from the beginning of treatment was 106 months. RESULTS: First events included isolated locoregional recurrences (35 patients), isolated distant metastases (27 patients), and locoregional recurrences with synchronous metastases (13 patients). The 10-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate was 88% for Stage IB1, 44% for Stage IB2, 65% for Stage IIA, and 48% for Stage IIB. Multivariate analysis showed that independent factors influencing the probability of DFS were as follows: cervical site (exocervical or endocervical vs. both endo- and exocervical, relative risk [RR]: 1.77, p = 0.047), vascular space invasion (no vs. yes, RR: 1.95, p = 0.041), age (>51 years vs. 1 cm: 83% vs. 41%, respectively, p = 0.001). The overall postoperative complication rate was 10% in Group I and 9% in Group II (p = 0.7). The rate of postoperative ureteral complications requiring surgical intervention was lower in Group I than in Group II (0.6% vs. 2.3%, respectively, p = 0.03). The overall 10-year rate for Grade 3 and 4 late radiation complications was 10.4%. Postoperative EBPRT significantly increased the 10-year rate for Grade 3 and 4 late radiation complications (yes vs. no: 22% vs. 7%, respectively, p = 0.0002). CONCLUSION: The prognosis for patients with cervical carcinoma was not influenced by the sequence of adjuvant RT (preoperative uterovaginal brachytherapy vs. postoperative RT) for Stages IB, IIA, and IIB with 1/3 proximal parametrial involvement. However, postoperative EBPRT increased the risk of late radiation complications.

Longterm followup of posthysterectomy vaginal vault prolapse abdominal repair: a report of 85 cases.

BACKGROUND: There are many surgical procedures to treat posthysterectomy vaginal vault prolapse. Abdominal sacral colpopexy is one of these procedures. The aim of this study was to review the cases of 85 consecutive patients treated by this technique since 1978 by the same surgical team using the same procedure. Our surgical procedure will be explained. STUDY DESIGN: Eighty-five patients were treated in our department between 1978 and 1998 for posthysterectomy vaginal vault prolapse. The mean age was 55.42 years. The mean weight was 63.37 kg. Their parity ranged from 0 to 5 (mean, 2.54). The interval of time between hysterectomy and vaginal vault prolapse repair ranged from 1 to 37 years (mean, 17.92 years). The main indication for hysterectomy was uterine leiomyomas. Of these patients, 67.05% had stress urinary incontinence, and mean urethral closure pressure was 48.7 cm H2O. All patients had abdominal sacral colpopexy associated with a Burch procedure and a posterior perineal repair. RESULTS: Seventeen patients had postoperative fever. Twenty-two had urinary tract infections. Two patients had to undergo blood transfusion. Three patients had postoperative urinary retention. The median longterm followup was 10.5 years; 27.05% of patients had relapsing stress urinary incontinence. Two patients had a relapse of the vaginal vault prolapse. CONCLUSIONS: The abdominal sacral colpopexy is a safe operation with low morbidity and long-standing good results. It can be recommended for sexually active women. Nevertheless, the Burch procedure performed with this operation failed to prevent recurrence of urinary incontinence.