J. Lansac

Conservative treatment feasibility with induction chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy for patients with breast carcinoma larger than 3 cm

Background. The traditional surgical treatment for operable breast carcinoma larger than 3 cm is mastectomy. To avoid mutilating surgery, the authors administered primary chemotherapy to 158 patients with operable nonmetastatic large breast carcinoma with a TNM classification of T2 greater than 3 cm and T3 with a lymph node status of NO‐N1. Conservative treatment was proposed for patients responding to the chemotherapy and whose tumor was reduced to 3 cm or less. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the feasibility and treatment results of this strategy.

Prognostic significance of breast relapse after conservative treatment in node-negative early breast cancer.

The prognostic significance of local relapse after conservative treatment of early stage breast carcinoma has been controversial. To determine the incidence and the prognostic value of a breast relapse, we analyzed the results obtained in a series of patients with pT1pN0 presentation of breast carcinoma treated conservatively without adjuvant medical treatment. From 1976 to 1986, 202 patients with invasive breast carcinoma of less than 2 cm without lymph node involvement were treated with surgery and radiation therapy. The overall survival rate was 97.2% at 5 years. Locoregional relapses occurred in 16 patients (7.9%). In these patients, the overall survival rate was significantly decreased as compared to that of patients without local relapse (87.5% versus 98.3% at 5 years, p less than 0.001). The probability of remaining metastasis-free was also significantly decreased (80.2% vs 91.3%, p less than 0.001). Most relapses (94%) appeared at or close to the primary site. Salvage local treatment was possible in 14/16 patients (87.5%). Age, menopausal status, size and site of primary tumor, histological grade, and boost technique did not influence significantly the risk of local relapse occurrence. We concluded that the occurrence of a breast relapse after a successful local conservative treatment is a pejorative prognostic factor predictive of a high risk of distant metastasis development. There is a need to individualize factors that could allow discrimination of patients with a high probability of local relapse and subsequent metastasis.

Primary chemotherapy and radiosurgical breast-conserving treatment for patients with locally advanced operable breast cancers

PURPOSEnThe traditional surgical treatment for operable breast cancer larger than 3 cm is mastectomy. In order to avoid mutilating surgery, we administered primary chemotherapy to 80 patients with operable non metastatic large breast cancer T2 > 3 cm and T3, N0-N1. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the breast-conserving rate induced by this treatment strategy and determine if it is a safe alternative for women with locally advanced breast carcinomas that are responders to an induction chemotherapy.nnnMETHODS AND MATERIALSnThe mean age was 50.1 years. Forty-three patients were T2 > 3 cm, 37 were T3. Twenty-six were N0 and 54 were N1. Mean tumor size was 5.4 cm. Patients were treated with three courses of the MVCF regimen (Mitoxantrone, Vindesin, Cyclophosphamide, and 5 Fluorouracil) every 4 weeks and then with a radiosurgical combination.nnnRESULTSnThe overall response rate to induction chemotherapy was 51% with 17.5% complete tumor regression. Twenty-one percent of the patients developed grade 3 or 4 chemotherapy toxic effects, all acceptable and reversible. Breast-conserving treatment was feasible in 42.5% (34/80). Twenty patients (25%) were treated with a radiosurgical combination (tumorectomy+radiation therapy), 14 (17.5%) with radiotherapy alone (external irradiation and brachytherapy). Age, tumor stage, histology, hormonal status, hormonal receptors rate had no influence on the frequency of the observed regressions. Isolated recurrences occurred in five patients, two conservatively treated and three treated with mastectomy. Metastatic relapses were observed in 20 patients (12% in the responders and 38.5% in the non responders to chemotherapy) (p < 0.02). Five-year actuarial survival was 73% and was significantly better for responders to the induction treatment.nnnCONCLUSIONnThese results suggest that primary chemotherapy and radiosurgical breast conserving treatment is a safe alternative to mastectomy for patients with locally advanced operable breast cancer. The long-term benefit of this strategy must be evaluated in well designed controlled trials.

Preoperative or postoperative brachytherapy for patients with endometrial carcinoma stage I and II

In endometrial carcinoma, vaginal vault brachytherapy is performed to improve the local control rate and to decrease vaginal recurrences. To assess the best chronology of this brachytherapy compared to surgery, we have retrospectively analyzed results of treatment of patients treated either with preoperative brachytherapy (60 Gy) and then radical hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo oophorectomy (RH-BSO) (Group 1), or with RH-BSO and then postoperative brachytherapy (60 Gy) (Group 2). There were one hundred twenty-one patients in Group 1 and 63 in Group 2. The mean age was 61.8 years in Group 1 and 64.3 in Group 2. In Group 1, 73% of the patients were Stage I, and 77.6% were in Group 2. The two groups were comparable for histological grading and depth of tumoral invasion into the myometrium. Brachytherapy was delivered with one uterine and two vaginal sources in Group 1 and with three vaginal sources in Group 2. Doses to the reference volume and to reference points were calculated according to ICRU recommendations. Brachytherapy data were similar in the two groups except reference volume, which was smaller in Group 2. Local control rate was 87% in Group 1 and 91% in Group 2. Distant metastasis occurred in 12% of patients in Group 1 and 9% in Group 2. The 5-year actuarial survival rate was 84% in Group 1 and 89% in Group 2. Regarding stage, histological grading, and depth of tumoral invasion, no differences were observed between the two therapeutic groups. The only prognostic factor in the entire population was Stage. The 5-year actuarial survival rate was 91% for Stage I patients and 69% for Stage II (p value less than 0.03). The late severe complication rate was 14% in Group 1 and 7.9% in Group 2, a difference which was not statistically significant. We concluded that since no differences were observed between the two techniques, vaginal brachytherapy should be performed postoperatively when surgery is the first treatment (Stage I or II, grade 1 or 2, and no deep tumoral invasion into the myometrium).

N-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in human breast carcinoma phosphatidylethanolamine and early relapse

N-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in human breast carcinoma phosphatidylethanolamine and early relapse

Is lymphadenectomy useful in the treatment of endometrial carcinoma

In our institution endometrial carcinoma stages I and II is treated with uterovaginal brachytherapy and radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy. We have made a retrospective analysis of the results of lymphadenectomy to determine its place in the treatment strategy. Between 1976 and 1986, 155 patients were treated with these modalities (107 were stage I, 48 were stage II). The mean age was 60.2 years. Brachytherapy delivered 60 Gy, and then radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy was performed. Twenty-six patients received pelvic external-beam irradiation because of lymph node involvement and or deep tumor invasion into the myometrium. Fourteen patients (9%) had lymph node involvement. External iliac lymph nodes were involved in 78.5% of these cases. The lymph node involvement rate was higher for patients with stage II disease, patients with grade 3 tumors, and patients in whom there was deep tumor invasion into the myometrium. Pelvic failure rate was 12% for node-negative patients and 36% for node-positive patients. The 5-year actuarial survival rates were 83% for node-negative and 41% for node-positive patients. We administer pelvic external-beam radiotherapy to all stage II patients, grade 2 or 3 patients, and patients in whom there is deep tumor invasion into the myometrium. We do not perform lymphadenectomy on these patients. We perform only external iliac sampling for patients with stage I, grade 1 tumor without deep tumor invasion.

Lymphadenectomy in the management of endometrial carcinoma stage I and II. Retrospective study of 155 cases

In our institution endometrial carcinomas Stage I and II were treated with initial uterovaginal brachytherapy 60 Gy followed by modified radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy. We have studied the results in order to assess the value of lymphadenectomy in the treatment strategy. Between 1976 and 1986, 155 patients were treated (107 Stage I, 48 Stage II mean age 60.2 years). Twenty-six patients also received postoperative pelvic external beam irradiation on account of lymph node involvement and/or deep tumour invasion into the myometrium. Fourteen patients (9%) had lymph node involvement. External iliac lymph nodes were involved in 78.5% of these cases. Lymph node involvement rate was higher for stage II, grade 3 tumours and when there was deep tumour invasion of the myometrium. The rate of local (pelvic) treatment failure was 12% for node-negative patients and 36% for node-positive patients and the 5-year actuarial survival rates for the two groups were 83% and 41% respectively. As a consequence of our interpretation of the findings and influenced by the high complication rate which we attribute to lymphadenectomy and the information given by other prognostic indicators, we have changed to a policy of carrying out pelvic external radiotherapy for all Stage II, grade 2 or 3 cases and those with deep myometrial invasion. Lymphadenectomy is not performed in these cases. For patients with Stage I grade 1 tumours without deep tumour invasion only external iliac node sampling is performed. If this shows tumour, external irradiation is given in addition to vaginal vault brachytherapy.

Radical hysterectomy for stage I and II endometrial carcinoma: A retrospective analysis of 179 cases

Total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo oophorectomy is the traditional treatment for endometrial carcinoma. In an effort to improve local control rates, we have surgically treated our Stage I and II patients with radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy (RH-PL). Between 1976 and 1987 we have treated 179 patients with endometrial adenocarcinoma (125 Stage I and 54 Stage II) with the following modalities. Uterovaginal brachytherapy (60 Gy) was performed first and then 6 weeks later an RH-PL was performed. Twenty-nine patients received external pelvic irradiation (45 Gy) because of tumor invasion beyond the internal two-thirds of the myometrium and/or lymph node involvement. The local control rate was 87% (92% for Stage I, 76% for Stage II). Distant metastases occurred in 24 patients (13%). Five-year actuarial survival rates were 80% for Stage I and 61% for Stage II patients. Prognostic factors were nodal status, histological grading, depth of tumor myometrial invasion, histologic status of the hysterectomy specimen, and peritoneal cytology. Late severe complications occurred for 13 patients (7%). These results are comparable to those published for patients treated with less extensive surgery. We conclude that such an extensive surgery (especially pelvic lymphadenectomy) appears to be useless for all patients with bad prognostic factors requiring pelvic external irradiation. We only still perform external iliac node samples for patients with Stage I grade 1 tumors without deep tumor invasion into the myometrium.

Disappearance of the in situ component: a criterion predictive of metastasis in breast cancer after local relapse*

Local recurrence after conservative treatment of breast cancer is associated with a significant risk for metastasis. In order to identify criteria predictive of metastasis in this subset of women, we analyzed a series of 35 patients with local relapse among 512 consecutive patients treated with tumorectomy and radiotherapy. When relapse occurred within 2 years of initial treatment, overall 2-year survival from the time of local relapse was 39.5%. When local relapse occurred more than 2 years from initial therapy, 2-year survival was 80.5% (p < 0.001). Pathological slides of both initial and recurrent tumors were reviewed and compared. In 17 patients, local relapse and initial tumor had the same morphological features, with an in-situ component either absent or present in the same proportion. Metastasis occurred in two of these patients. In contrast, 9 of 12 patients in whom the proportion of non-invasive carcinoma had decreased at the time of local recurrence developed metastasis. Overall 2-year survival from the time of relapse was significantly better in the former group of patients (93.3% versus 52.5%, p < 0.05). We concluded that early relapses have a poor prognostic significance and that disappearance of the in-situ component or increase of the invasive component at the time of relapse is a feature predictive of tumor-related death and that more intensive therapy might benefit to this subset of women.

26 Évolution périnatale des kystes ovariens fœtaux : à propos d’une étude multicentrique rétrospective

Objectifs Preciser l’evolution perinatale des kystes ovariens fœtaux en fonction de leur apparence echographique, leur taille et le terme du diagnostic et evaluer la contribution de la ponction in utero sur l’histoire naturelle des kystes ovariens anechogenes. Materiel et methodes A partir d’une etude retrospective multicentrique, 126 kystes de l’ovaire fœtaux ont ete diagnostiques en periode prenatale par echographie et suivis dans dix centres de medecine fœtale francais entre le 1 er janvier 1993 et le 31 decembre 2000. Seuls les cas avec un suivi complet postnatal ont ete retenus. Resultats Le diagnostic a ete fait en moyenne a 33 semaines d’amenorrhee [95 % CI ; 32-34], le diametre moyen du kyste, lors du diagnostic, etait de 40 mm [95 % CI ; 38-42]. Au moment du diagnostic 27 % des kystes avaient des signes echographiques de complications (niveau liquide, sediments, cloison, echogene). Sur les 92 kystes non compliques (anechogene a paroi fine), 70 ont ete suivis par echographie (groupe I) et dans 22 cas (groupe II) une aspiration prenatale du kyste a ete pratiquee. Pour le groupe I, 42,8 % des kystes ont eu une torsion pendant la periode perinatale (16 en periode prenatale et 14 en periode neonatale). L’analyse multivariee par regression logistique a retrouve que l’âge gestationnel du diagnostic et le diametre maximal prenatal sont les deux seuls parametres statistiquement associes avec la torsion perinatale de l’annexe. Pour les kystes du groupe II, 2 n’ont pas ete completement aspires a cause de mouvements fœtaux et dans 4 cas, le kyste a recidive. Seuls 2 nouveaux nes (2 de ceux qui ont recidives) ont une chirurgie postnatale (kystectomie) sans signes evidents de torsion de l’annexe. L’analyse anatomopathologique de tous les cas operes confirme le caractere benin et l’origine folliculaire ou folliculoluteinique des kystes. Conclusion Notre etude confirme le haut risque de complications mecaniques des kystes ovariens fœtaux anechogenes. La ponction prenatale de ces kystes doit etre evoque des le diagnostic, surtout pour ceux diagnostiques tot dans le troisieme trimestre. L’efficacite de cette approche dans notre etude semble prometteuse. Mais des etudes randomisees prospectives sont necessaires pour conclure.