SABCS: Chest Wall Irradiation Does Not Impact Survival in Breast Cancer
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Dec. 16, 2024 -- For patients with intermediate-risk breast cancer, chest wall irradiation (CWI) after mastectomy does not influence 10-year overall survival, according to a study presented at the annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held from Dec. 10 to 13 in San Antonio.
Ian Kunkler, M.B., B.Chir., from the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom, and colleagues examined the impact of adjuvant CWI following mastectomy and axillary surgical staging with operable breast cancer at intermediate-risk of locoregional recurrence. Data were included for 1,607 patients: 808 were randomly assigned to receive CWI after mastectomy and 799 were randomly assigned to no CWI after mastectomy; all participants received guideline-concordant axillary node clearance and systemic treatments.
The researchers found that CWI had no impact on overall survival at 10 years and had no impact on overall survival in node-negative (pN0) patients versus those with one to three positive axillary lymph nodes (pN1). Twenty-nine chest wall recurrences occurred, with chest wall recurrence-free survival probabilities of 98.8 and 97.1 percent for the CWI and no-CWI groups, respectively, at a median follow-up of 9.6 years. Chest wall recurrence was slightly reduced with CWI (hazard ratio, 0.45). No evidence of a significant differential treatment effect was seen for the pN1 and pN0 groups.
"This study demonstrates that CWI after a mastectomy has no influence on 10-year overall survival for patients with intermediate-risk breast cancer," Kunkler said in a statement. "The results are important considerations for shared decision-making conversations between patients and clinicians, as many patients eligible for postmastectomy CWI may not require the treatment."
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted December 2024
Read this next
Racialized Economic Segregation Linked to Advanced Cancer Diagnosis
FRIDAY, Aug. 1, 2025 -- People living in racially and economically segregated neighborhoods are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced-stage breast and cervical cancer...
Changes in Missouri Law Linked to Increased Breast Cancer Screening Rates
THURSDAY, July 31, 2025 -- Changes in Missouri law expanding breast cancer screening coverage have led to increased screening rates among Medicaid patients and an increased...
AI Correctly Localized Almost One-Third of Interval Cancers on Screening Digital Breast Tomosynthesis
THURSDAY, July 31 Aug. 1, 2025 -- Artificial intelligence (AI) correctly localized nearly one-third of interval cancers on retrospective evaluation of screening digital breast...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.