BACKGROUND

The prognostic implications of internal mammary (IM) and supraclavicular (SC) node involvement in locally advanced breast cancer is still unclear.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We evaluated 107 patients with IM (n = 65) or SC (n = 42) node involvement who underwent operation at the European Institute of Oncology between 1997 and 2009 to assess their prognostic features. We subsequently analyzed matched cohorts, using the 107 patients as cases and another group of patients as a control cohort, to evaluate prognostic differences between patients with and those without IM or SC node involvement.

RESULTS

Five-year disease-free survival (DFS) was 84% in IM vs. 38.8% in SC node involvement (P < .0001), and 5-year overall survival (OS) was 96.9% in IM node vs. 57.1% in SC node involvement (P < .0001). No difference in outcome was found between patients with and controls without IM node involvement. Conversely, a statistically significant difference in DFS and locoregional recurrence was observed in patients with SC node involvement compared with controls without SC node involvement.

CONCLUSION

SC node involvement correlated with a significantly poorer outcome in patients with locally advanced breast cancer. Adequate staging, including biopsy of suspicious locoregional ipsilateral lymph nodes, is mandatory in these patients. Patients with IM or SC node involvement should be treated with curative intent using combined-modality treatments.