International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics
-
Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. · May 2007
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyThe ratio of positive to excised nodes identifies high-risk subsets and reduces inter-institutional differences in locoregional recurrence risk estimates in breast cancer patients with 1-3 positive nodes: an analysis of prospective data from British Columbia and the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.
To examine the power of the nodal ratio (NR) of positive/excised nodes in predicting postmastectomy locoregional recurrence (LRR) in patients with 1-3 positive nodes (N+) and in identifying cohorts at similar risk across independent data sets. ⋯ In patients with 1-3 N+, evaluating nodal positivity using NR reduced inter-institutional differences in LRR estimates that may exist due to variations in numbers of nodes excised. Nodal ratio >0.20 was associated with LRR >20%, warranting PMRT consideration. Nodal ratio may be useful for extrapolating data from prospective trials to clinical practices in which axillary staging extent vary.