Exclusive radical radiation therapy in breast carcinoma.

We present the results of 186 breast cancer patients treated initially for locoregional disease by radiotherapy alone, combining cobalt therapy with external electron beam or interstitial iridium implants. According to the TNM classification, the patients were distributed as follows: 3 T1N0, 2 T1N1, 33 T2N0, 36 T2N1, 16 T3N0, 26 T3N1, 6 T3N2, 14 T4N0, 29 T4N1, 9 T4N2 and 12 T4N3. The 5- and 10-year survival rates (52.7% and 36.5%, respectively, for all patients) were directly correlated with the size and location of the breast tumor, and the extent of lymph node involvement. Locoregional recurrence was observed in 39.8% of the cases, metastasis alone in 26.8% of the cases, and a combination of local recurrence and distant metastasis in 14.5% of the cases. The local recurrences and metastases were directly correlated with the extent of locoregional involvement. Late complications and sequelae were mostly minor and occurred in less than 25% of the cases; severe sequelae occurred in no more than 2% of the cases. They depended on the initial tumor volume and the tumor dose. Our results, along with those in the literature, indicate that radiotherapy administered alone is a valid therapeutic option in breast cancer.