Breast cancer patients operated with modified radical mastectomy or breast conservative surgery will be randomized for either adjuvant conventional radiotherapy versus hypofractionated radiotherapy for chest wall and axilla or breast and axilla. The patients will be recruited for one year and will be followed for 5 years by monitoring local recurrence, cosmetic outcomes, health economic perspectives, and arm lymph edema.
The investigators hypothesize that hypofractionated radiotherapy in node positive breast cancer is equally effective and safe as conventional fractionated radiotherapy. Breast cancer patients with pathological positive lymph nodes (N1 - N2) operated with modified radical mastectomy will be randomized 1:1 and also those with breast conservative surgery with positive lymph nodes will be randomized 1:1 for receiving either adjuvant conventional radiotherapy 200cgy x 25 fractions with 200cgy x 5 fractions boost for those with intact breast versus hypofractionated radiotherapy 266cgyx16 fractions and 266 cgy x 4 fractions boost for those with intact breast. The patients will be followed for 5 years to monitor locoregional recurrence, cosmetic outcomes, ipsilateral arm lymph edema. Health economic perspectives will be monitored by calculating cost effective analysis for both treatment plans.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
500
daily fractions, five fractions per week.
Mahmoud Ellithy
Cairo, Abbasia, Egypt
RECRUITINGLocoregional recurrence
Tumor locoregional recurrence is defined as: Any newly suspicious skin change/s or palpable lymph node in the irradiated area (compared to baseline photo and clinical examination of this area) that is/are pathologically proved to be locoregional tumor recurrence. Suspicious skin change/s and palpable lymph node from baseline photo and baseline clinical examination of the irradiated area will be monitored at 3 months throughout 5 years following the completion of radiotherapy in the two study arms to detect the incidence and time of locoregional recurrence.
Time frame: 5 years
Cosmetic outcomes
Aesthetic evaluation of the irradiated breast will be through 3 methods. Patient questionnaire (Subjective evaluation), Harvard score for breast cosmoses (Observer evaluation) and a computer soft ware that calculate the configuration difference between treated and non treated breast. Upon evaluation, each of the three methods will acquire a point ranging from 0 to 3 (poor to excellent cosmetic outcome respectively). The points of the three methods will be added yielding a score ranging from 0 to 9. Score 0-2, 3-4, 5-6 and 7-9 mean poor, fair, good and excellent cosmoses respectively. The cumulative incidence of changes in breast cosmoses from baseline for every patient will be assessed every year (as described above) through out the 5 years (Time frame of the study) following the completion of radiotherapy in the two study arms. By the end of the five years the aesthetic evaluation for each patient will be through calculating the average of her 5 years score.
Time frame: 5 years
Arm lymph edema.
To evaluate the cumulative incidence of lymph edema during the 5 years following completion of hypofractionated radiation treatment \[ Time Frame: 5 years \] Incidence of lymphedema defined as ≥ 10% increase in arm circumference over baseline circumference compared to the contralateral arm measured every 6 months from the time of initiation of hypofractionated irradiation of breast and regional nodes through 5 years following the completion of radiation therapy in 2 study groups.
Time frame: 5 years
Health economic perspectives
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The economic perspectives for the public health: (Time frame 5 years). Cost effective analysis of each treatment plan will be evaluated at the end of 5 years through calculation of the cost-effectiveness ratio = Cost of intervention / Health effect produced. The cost of intervention = the sum of (Cost of medical staff time, drugs and equipment maintenance during the 5 years time frame). (The cost of intervention during the 5 years time frame will be used for calculations). The health effect produced will be years of local control (Number of years the patient lived without any pathological evidence of local recurrence). (The mean years of local control during the 5 years time frame will be used for calculations). The treatment program with the less cost effectiveness ratio will be recommended for treating patients.
Time frame: 5 years