Abstract
Aim
A study was carried out to determine whether local recurrence after quadrantectomy, axillary dissection and radiotherapy (QUART) affects the oncologic prognosis of patients with early infiltrating breast carcinoma.
Methods
A total of 149 patients were submitted to QUART between 1981 and 1990 and followed by an average period of 120.9 months (range, 16–213). Local recurrence was not observed in 132 cases (group 1) but was detected in 17 patients (group 2).
Results
In group 1, 39 cases (29.5%) presented distant metastases and 34 (25.8%) evolved to death. In group 2, 10 (51.8%) distant metastases and 9 deaths (52.9%) were verified. The survival curves estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method and analyzed by the logrank test were statistically different for distant metastases-free survival (P = 0.03) and for overall survival (P = 0.01). The relative risk in patients with post-QUART local recurrence for distant metastases was 2.09 and for death 2.34.
Conclusions
It was concluded that post-QUART local recurrences are a poor prognostic factor in patients with early infiltrating breast carcinoma.
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