ROLE OF POSTMASTECTOMY HYPOFRACTIONATED RADIOTHERAPY AS AN ADJUVANT TREATMENT IN BREAST CANCER

Abstract

Aim : To evaluate treatment morbidities and locoregional control in breast cancer patients who were treated with adjuvant postmastectomy hypofractionated radiation therapy.
Methods : Forty female patients with breast cancer had performed modified radical mastectomy then received chemotherapy thereafter all patients were planned to receive radiotherapy with three field technique on Co 60 i.e two tangential portals for chest wall and one anterior ipsilateral supraclavicular portal for supraclavicular fossa. The total radiation dose was 39 Gy which was given as 3 Gy / fraction daily , 5 days / week. Patients were evaluated weekly during treatment and monthly thereafter. Skin, cardiac, pulmonary toxicities and lymphoedema were observed.
Results : Locoregional relapse was observed in 12.5% of patients, skin toxicities mainly of G1, 2 in 57.5 % of cases while G3, 4 was observed in 27.5 %. Radiation pneumonitis was found in 7.5% of cases. Only one case showed significant decrease in LVEF. lymphoedema mainly of G0
Conclusion : Post mastectomy hypofractionated radiotherapy showed low rate of local relapse with acceptable treatment toxicities despite higher dose per fraction. Short course of treatment decrease treatment time allowing larger number of patients to be treated per year. Further studies with larger number of patients and longer follow up periods are needed to confirm the feasibility of such treatment schedule….
Key word: Hypofractionated, Radiotherapy, postmastectomy