• Yi-Ying Pan, Tzu-Yu Lai, Cheng-Ying Shiau, Ling-Ming Tseng, I-Chun Lai, Yu-Ming Liu, and Pin-I Huang.
• Department of Heavy Particles & Radiation Oncology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
• J Chin Med Assoc. 2024 Feb 1; 87 (2): 202211202-211.

BackgroundBreast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women, and treatment options include surgery, systemic therapies, and radiotherapy (RT). While postoperative RT plays an important role in reducing local recurrence rates and improving survival outcomes, its exact impact on patients with pathological stage IIB breast cancers remains unidentified.MethodsIn this retrospective cohort study, patients with newly diagnosed pathological stage IIB breast cancer who underwent surgery and postoperative RT were included. The data were collected from medical records, and survival outcomes were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank tests, and Cox regression models.ResultsIn total, 350 patients participated in this study. Overall survival, locoregional recurrence-free survival, event-free survival, and distant metastasis-free survival rates did not significantly differ between those who received RT and those who did not. Multivariate analyses revealed that patients who received anthracycline or taxane chemotherapy had better survival outcomes.ConclusionOur findings demonstrated that postoperative RT had no significant effect on overall survival, locoregional recurrence, event-free survival, or distant metastasis rates in patients with pathological stage IIB breast cancer. However, anthracycline- and taxane-based chemotherapies were associated with improved outcomes. These findings demonstrated the complexities of treating such patient populations with multimodal therapies. Further research is needed to ensure optimal postoperative RT in patients with pathological stage IIB breast cancer. Clinicians must consider individual patient characteristics and incorporate comprehensive treatment approaches to ensure successful outcomes in this population.Copyright © 2023, the Chinese Medical Association.

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