Supraclavicular failure after breast-conserving therapy in patients with four or more positive axillary lymph nodes when prophylactic supraclavicular irradiation is omitted

Abstract

In patients who had undergone BCT and had had four or more PALNs, the major failure pattern was distant failure with or without locoregional failure; isolated supraclavicular failure as the initial failure comprised a less common failure pattern. Omission of prophylactic supraclavicular irradiation may be acceptable for this subset of patients.