The effect of radiotherapy on patients with pathological stage IIB breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery or mastectomy: A cohort study

Abstract

Background: Breast 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. Methods: In 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. Results: In 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. Conclusion: Our 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.