Abstract
In this review, we discuss the reasons why it is important to consider combining adjuvant chemotherapy (CT) and radiotherapy (RT), the various considerations involved in designing the optimal combination, and the available evidence regarding the optimal combination. We stress here our past experience as well as information obtained from randomized controlled trials.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Abner AL et al (1991) Cosmetic results after surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy for early stage breast cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys: 21:331–338
Buchholz T et al (1993) Effect of delay in radiation in the combined modality treatment of breast cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 26:23–35
Cuzick J et al (1987) Overview of randomized trials of postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy in breast cancer. Cancer Treat Rep 71:15–29
Cuzick J et al (1994) Cause-specific mortality in long-term survivors of breast cancer who participated in trials of radiotherapy. J Clin Oncol 12:447–453
Dubey AK et al (1997) Outcome following concurrent chemotherapy (CT) and reduced dose radiation therapy (RT) for patients with early stage breast cancer (Abstr). Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys
Early Breast Cancer Trialists’ Collaborative Group (1992) Systemic treatment of early breast cancer by hormonal, cytotoxic, or immune therapy: 133 randomized trials involved 31,000 recurrences and 24,000 deaths among 75,000 women. Lancet 339:1–15, 71-85
Fentiman I et al (1989) Influence of radiotherapy on the dose of adjuvant chemotherapy in early breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 13:237–241
Fisher B et al (1989) Eight-year results of a randomized clinical trial comparing total mastectomy and lumpectomy with or without irradiation in the treatment of breast cancer. N Engl J Med 320:822–828
Fisher B et al (1996) Sequential methotrexate and fluorouracil for the treatment of nodenegative breast cancer patients with estrogen receptor-negative tumors: eight-year results from National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) B-13 and first report of findings from NDABP B-19 comparing methotrexate and fluorouracil with conventional cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil. J Clin Oncol 14:1982–1992
Harris JR, Hellman S (1996) Natural history of breast cancer. In: Harris JR, Hellman S, Lippman ME, Morrow M (eds) Diseases of the breast. Lippincott-Raven, Philadelphia
Harris JR et al (1993) Sequencing adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy in breast cancer patients. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 26:183–185
Lingos TI et al (1991) Radiation pneumonitis in breast cancer patients treated with conservative surgery and radiation therapy. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 21:355–360
McCormick B (1996) Sequencing: one big tree in the forest of breast cancer management. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 35:843–844
Nixon A et al (1998) No long-term increase in cardiac-related mortality after breast-conserving surgery and radiation therapy using modern technique. J Clin Oncol (in press)
Overgaard M et al (1997) Postoperative radiotherapy in high-risk premenopausal women with breast cancer who received adjuvant chemotherapy. Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group 82b. N Engl J Med 337:949–955
Pierce SM et al (1992) Long-term radiation complications following conservative surgery (CS) and radiation therapy (RT) in patients with early stage breast cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 23:915–923
Ragaz J et al (1997) Adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy in node-positive premenopausal women with breast cancer. N Engl J Med. 337(14):956–962
Recht A et al (1991) Integration of conservative surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy for the treatment of early-stage, node-positive breast cancer: sequencing, timing and outcome. J Clin Oncol 9:1662–1667
Recht A et al (1996) The sequencing of chemotherapy and radiation therapy after conservative surgery for early stage breast cancer. N Engl J Med 334:1356–1361
Rose MA et al (1989) Premenopausal breast cancer patients treated with conservative surgery, radiotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy have a low risk of local failure. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 17:711–717
Veronesi U et al (1990) Breast conservation is the treatment of choice in small breast cancer: long-term results of a randomized clinical trial. Eur J Cancer 26:668–670
Wallgren A et al (1996) Timing of radiotherapy and chemotherapy following breast-conserving surgery for patients with node-positive breast cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 35:649–659
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1998 Springer-Verlag Berlin · Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Dubey, A.K., Recht, A., Come, S., Shulman, L., Harris, J. (1998). Why and How to Combine Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy in Breast Cancer Patients. In: Senn, HJ., Gelber, R.D., Goldhirsch, A., Thürlimann, B. (eds) Adjuvant Therapy of Primary Breast Cancer VI. Recent Results in Cancer Research, vol 152. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-45769-2_23
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-45769-2_23
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-45771-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-45769-2
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive