Local recurrence of breast cancer: treatment of nine patients with a recurrence in the skin flap of the chest wall.

From 1975 through 1985, nine patients with a local recurrent lesion (LRL) of breast cancer to the skin flap of the chest wall were treated. Four had undergone primary mastectomies in our clinic and the other five were referred from other surgeons, following signs of recurrence. Aggressive topical therapy, such as resection or irradiation, proved effective in eradicating the LRL in all cases, thereby indicating that topical therapy is useful for improving quality of life. Adjuvant systemic chemo-immuno-endocrine therapy is also required for patients with LRL, to increase longevity. Seven of the patients died of a distant metastasis within 66 months after the onset of LRL.