Excellent Local Control in an Updated Analysis of Concurrent Chemoradiation for Node-positive Breast Cancer Treated with Breast Conserving Surgery

Materials/Methods:Weenrolled patients in a prospective, single-armstudyofwomenwithnode-positiveStage II/III breast cancers who underwent BCS and adjuvant therapy consisting of 4 cycles of doxorubicin (60 mg/m2) and cyclophosphamide (600 mg/m2) followed by 4 cycles of paclitaxel (175 mg/m2) given every 3 weeks. Radiotherapy was delivered concurrently with the first two cycles of paclitaxel and consisted of 39.6 Gy/22 fxs to thewhole breast with a 14 Gy/7 fxs tumor bed boost. A supraclavicular field was added in patients with 4 or more positive axillary lymph nodes (LN) or extracapsular extension. Axillary fields were treated in patients with inadequate dissections or gross nodal disease. Breast cosmesis was scored prior to radiation and at follow-up using the Harvard criteria and pulmonary toxicity was monitored by the carbon monoxide diffusing capacity and available imaging.