Management of locally advanced carcinoma of the breast by primary radiation therapy.

We performed a retrospective review of 137 patients with locally advanced breast cancer, but without distant metastases, who were treated with radical radiation therapy. Ninety percent of patients had an initial complete response to their radiation therapy. The 5 year rates of local tumor control, survival free of distant failure, and overall survival were 54%, 28% and 30%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that the following features were associated with improved local tumor control: clinically negative axillary nodes, excisional biopsy, radiation dose greater than 6000 rad, and the use of adjuvant systemic therapy. Improved freedom from distant relapse was seen in patients with small primaries and non-inflammatory carcinoma, as well as clinically negative axillary nodes, excisional biopsy, radiation dose greater than 6000 rad, and the use of adjuvant systemic therapy. The results suggest that adequate levels of radiation therapy can provide local tumor control in a significant proportion of patients with locally advanced-breast cancer and that adjuvant systemic therapy is useful in improving both local tumor control and freedom from distant relapse in these patients.