Clinical outcome of the axilla after axillary radiation in breast cancer: A retrospective study from MNJIO & RCC Hyderabad

Raman RR

Pdf Page Numbers :- 63-67

Raghu Raman R^1,*

¹MNJ Institute of Oncology & Regional Cancer Centre, Hyderabad, Telangana, India

*Corresponding author: Dr. R. Raghu Raman, Associate Professor, MNJ Institute of Oncology & Regional Cancer Centre, Red Hills, Lakadikapul, Hyderabad-500004, Telangana, India. Email: raghuraman3008@gmail.com

Received 28 March 2018; Revised 17 May 2018; Accepted 30 May 2018; Published 07 June 2018

Citation: Raman RR. Clinical outcome of the axilla after axillary radiation in breast cancer: A retrospective study from MNJIO & RCC Hyderabad. J Med Sci Res. 2018; 6(3):63-67. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17727/JMSR.2018/6-11

Copyright: © 2018 Raman RR. Published by KIMS Foundation and Research Center. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

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Abstract

Aim: To study the axillary recurrences after calculation of radiation dose delivered to the mid axillary plane in breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant radiation.

Materials: 208 patients (148 cobalt, 60 linear accelerator) attending the follow up clinics from May 2007 to Dec 2012, had their axillary separation measured at the first visit and the dose to mid plane of axilla was extrapolated from PDD’s.

Results: The actual mean dose received by the axilla was in the cobalt arm 4058.9 cGy (range 3301cGy to 4705cGy) and 4134.77 cGY (range 3597cGy to 4824cGy) in the LA arm, which is less than the usual recommended dose of 4500cGy to 5000cGy to midplane. The doses were subclinical as posterior axillary boost was not planned. There were 10 recurrences including only 1 axillary recurrence (0.48%).

Discussion: The role of PMRT in breast cancer is well established and so is the morbidity of combined axillary dissection and radiation. The adoption of certain techniques of planning can result in sub optimal doses to the axillary mid plane. However suboptimal dosing may not affect the outcome of axillary recurrences.

Conclusion: The incidence of axillary recurrences in a heterogeneous population receiving locoregional post-mastectomy radiation to the axilla is less than one percent in the region of Andhra Pradesh.

Keywords: axillary radiation; breast cancer; retrospective study