BACKGROUND:The current study was conducted to examine the association between ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) and the timing of radiotherapy (RT) in women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) undergoing breast-conserving surgery (BCS). METH-ODS: Women with DCIS who were treated with BCS and RT from 1980 through 2010 were identified from a prospectively maintained database. IBTR rates, measured from the time of RT completion, were compared between those who initiated RT 8 weeks, >8 to 12 weeks, and >12 weeks after the completion of surgery. The association between RT timing and IBTR was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier and log-rank analyses; Cox modeling was used for multivariable analysis. RESULTS: A total of 1323 women met the inclusion criteria. The median follow-up was 6.6 years, with 311 patients followed for 10 years. A total of 126 IBTR events occurred. Patients were categorized by RT timing: 806 patients (61%) with timing of 8 weeks, 386 patients (29%) with timing of >8 to 12 weeks, and 131 patients (10%) with timing >12 weeks. The 5-year and 10-year IBTR rates were 5.8% and 13.0%, respectively, for RT starting 8 weeks after surgery; 3.8% and 7.6%, respectively, for RT starting >8 to 12 weeks after surgery; and 8.8% and 23.0%, respectively, for an RT delay >12 weeks after surgery (P 5 .004). On multivariable analysis, menopause (hazard ratio [HR], 0.54; P 5 .0009) and endocrine therapy (HR, 0.45; P 5 .002) were found to be protective against IBTR, whereas a delay in RT >12 weeks compared with 8 weeks was associated with a higher risk of IBTR (HR, 1.92; P 5 .014). There was no difference in IBTR noted between RT initiation at 8 weeks and initiation at >8 to 12 weeks after BCS (P 5 .3). CONCLUSIONS: A delay in RT >12 weeks is associated with a significantly higher risk of IBTR in women undergoing BCS for DCIS. Efforts should be made to avoid delays in starting RT to minimize the risk of disease recurrence. Cancer 2018;124:46-54. V C 2017 American Cancer Society.KEYWORDS: breast cancer, ductal carcinoma in situ, radiotherapy, recurrence.
INTRODUCTIONDuctal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), or stage 0 breast cancer, is a noninvasive breast lesion that comprises approximately 20% of all breast cancer diagnoses. In 2017, it is estimated that nearly 53,000 women will be diagnosed with DCIS in the United States. 1,2 The majority of these women (60%-77%) will undergo breast-conserving surgery (BCS), with or without adjuvant therapy. [3][4][5][6] Survival is excellent after BCS for DCIS, with 10-year breast cancer-specific mortality rates of 1% to 4%. 7-10 However, rates of ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) are not insignificant, with the risk of IBTR reported to be 1% to 3% per year, 5,8 with long-term recurrence rates reported to range from 25% to 35% after BCS alone in 4 large, prospective, randomized controlled trials. 9,[11][12][13] A marked decrease in the risk of IBTR in patients with DCIS has been observed with the use of adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) after BCS. The Early Breast Cancer Trialists' Collabor...