Local or regionally recurrent carcinoma of the breast: results of therapy in 121 patients.

Local or regional recurrence after primary surgical management for carcinoma of the breast was retrospectively evaluated by presenting stage and management in 121 patients. None had evidence of systemic disease. Management consisted of surgical removal only in 11 patients, removal followed by irradiation in 25, biopsy only followed by irradiation in 43, hormonal therapy after biopsy in 30, and chemotherapy after biopsy in 12. Mean and median follow-up for all patients was 46.9 and 31.5 months, respectively. Patients experiencing a recurrence within 24 months of primary surgical management experienced the worst overall and disease-free survival. The group of 42 patients with residual disease who received systemic therapy after biopsy had improved disease-free and overall survival at 5 years in comparison to the group of 43 patients who received local therapy after biopsy (p less than or equal to 0.05). Radiation therapy produced more frequent and durable control of local disease than did systemic therapy. Patients who had a complete response to applied therapy had significant improvement in overall survival.