The role of radiotherapy in elderly women with early-stage breast cancer treated with breast conserving surgery.

Abstract

To analyze the impact of adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) on ipsilateral breast recurrence (IBR) and overall survival (OS) in patients older than 69 years with early-stage breast cancer. From January 2007 to June 2015, we analyzed retrospectively 137 women with estrogen receptor-positive T1-2 invasive breast cancer, with negative axillary lymph nodes, dividing them into 2 subgroups: 70 to 79 years and older than 79 years. After a median follow-up of 43.2 months, the 3-year IBR-free survival in patients treated with surgery plus RT was 98.8% and 92.1% in patients treated with surgery alone, with a significant difference (p = .01). Radiotherapy did not impact overall survival (p = .10). A higher percentage of patients aged between 70 and 79 years received RT after conservative surgery if compared with the older subgroup (p < .01). In elderly women, adjuvant RT reduced the IBR, but did not improve OS.