External beam radiotherapy in the treatment of male breast carcinoma: patterns of failure in a single institute experience.

Abstract

AIMS AND BACKGROUND:

We analyzed our own results in the treatment of male breast cancer patients with respect to local control, overall survival and possible prognostic factors for local and distant control.

METHODS:

Thirty-one patients with 32 carcinomas of the male breast were treated with radiotherapy. Twenty-five patients received radiotherapy to the chest wall including or not regional lymphatics after initial mastectomy (n = 23) or after surgery for local recurrence (n = 2). Median total dose was 60 Gy to the chest wall and 46 Gy to regional lymphatics. Seven patients with metastatic disease were referred for palliative radiotherapy.

RESULTS:

Overall survival after postoperative radiotherapy was 40% after a median follow-up of 4.3 years. Actuarial 3-, 5- and 10-year survival was 82.6%, 56.5% and 43.5%, respectively. Five-year progression-free survival was 62.5%. Survival was significantly affected by the presence of lymph node metastases (P <0.001). Local recurrence was seen in one patient after 29 months.

CONCLUSIONS:

Postoperative radiotherapy is important in the management of male breast cancer to improve local control and progression-free survival, resulting in one local failure in our analysis. The presence of lymph node metastases significantly impairs survival.

• Authors: Angelika Zabel, Stefanie Milker-Zabel, Ivan Zuna, Michael Wannenmacher, Jürgen Debus
• Journal: Tumori (Tumori) 2005 Mar-Apr Vol. 91 Issue 2 Pg. 151-5 ISSN: 0300-8916 [Print] United States
• PMID: 15948543 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Breast Neoplasms, Male (diagnosis, pathology, radiotherapy)
• Follow-Up Studies
• Humans
• Lymphatic Metastasis
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasm Staging
• Prognosis
• Retrospective Studies
• Survival Rate
• Treatment Failure