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Late skin and subcutaneous soft tissue changes after 10-Gy boost for breast conserving therapy

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Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate the influence of boost irradiation for breast conserving therapy on skin and subcutaneous tissue.

Materials and Methods

Between 1989 and 1995, 468 patients were treated with breast conserving surgery (quadrantectomy or wide excision with axillary dissection) followed by 50 Gy whole breast irradiation. Among them, fifty-eight patients with positive or close margins were treated with 10 Gy external beam boost irradiation. Skin and subcutaneous soft tissue changes during 5-years of follow-up were examined by inspection and palpation and evaluated using the BCT follow-up form based on EORTC late effect toxicity scoring.

Result

Four percent (20/468) of the patients showed grade 2 late changes in skin and soft tissue. Four of them had skin telangiectasis, which was limited to within the boost field. Boost irradiation had no definite influence on other late changes. Patients’ age, extent of surgery, and pT size had no significant relation to the late changes. The cosmetic score 5 years after BCT was not significantly different between the patients with and without boost irradiation.

Conclusion

Although 10 Gy boost irradioation after 50 Gy whole breast irradiation increased skin telangiectasis, the late skin and soft tissue changes caused by the boost irradiation were generally mild and there was no substantial deterioration of cosmetic outcome.

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Abbreviations

BCT:

Breast conserving therapy

BRA:

Breast retraction assesment

DCIS:

Ductal carcinomain situ

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Japan

    Setsuko Okumura, Michihide Mitsumori, Chikako Yamauchi, Sachiko Kawamura, Natsuo Oya, Yasushi Nagata & Masahiro Hiraoka

  2. Department of Image-based Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, Japan

    Masaki Kokubo

Authors
  1. Setsuko Okumura
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  2. Michihide Mitsumori
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  3. Masaki Kokubo
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  4. Chikako Yamauchi
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  5. Sachiko Kawamura
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  6. Natsuo Oya
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  7. Yasushi Nagata
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  8. Masahiro Hiraoka
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Additional information

Reprint requests to Setsuko Okumura, Department of Radiology, Hyogo Prefectural Amagasaki Hospital, 1-1-1 Higashidaimotsucho, Amagasaki, Hyogo 660-0828, Japan.

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Okumura, S., Mitsumori, M., Kokubo, M. et al. Late skin and subcutaneous soft tissue changes after 10-Gy boost for breast conserving therapy. Breast Cancer 10, 129–133 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02967637

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02967637

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