Table 2.
Analysis of randomized and population based trials on irradiation of internal mammary lymph nodes in patients with breast cancer.
| Study | MA.20 | French study | EORTC 22922/10925 | British-Columbia | Danish BCCG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patients (with irradiation of IMLNa) |
1832 (916) | 1334 (667) | 4004 (2002) | 2413 (989) | 3089 (1492) |
| Patients with involved axillary LNb (%) | 1655 (90.3%) | 1000 (75%) | 2224 (56%) | 529c (53%) | 1492 (100%) |
| Patients with internal-central localization of BC | 356d | 327d | 1247d | 338 | 477d |
| Estimated number of patients with involved IMLNa in irradiated group (per 100 women) | 71.8 (7.8) | 46.6 (7.0) | 118.4 (5.9) | 56.7e (10.7) | 125.5 (8.4) |
| Improvement in overall survival (NPf) | 1.0%g (7.8) | 3.3%g (2.12) | 1.6%g (3.69) | 3%e, h (3.6) | 3.7%i (2.3) |
| Improvement in disease-free survival (NPf) | – | – | 3.0%g (1.97) | 2%e, h (5.4) | |
| Improvement in distant metastatic-free survival (NPf) | 5.0%g (1.6) | – | 3.0%g (1.97) | 2%e, h (5.4) | |
| Patients without lymph flow to internal mammary region (%) | 702 (76.7%) | 498 (74.7%) | 1441 (72.3%) | 381e (72.1%) | 1163 (77.9%) |
a
IMLN – internal mammary lymph nodes.
b
LN – lymph nodes.
c
Number of patients with involved axillary lymph nodes in the group of patients with irradiated internal mammary lymph nodes.
d
Estimated number (calculated as 32% of the whole group) of patients with central/internal localization of breast cancer in group with irradiated internal mammary lymph nodes.
e
In group of 529 women with involved axillary lymph nodes.
f
NP – number of patients with metastatic internal mammary lymph nodes that must be irradiated in order to achieve 1% increase of survival rate.
g
10 year survival rate.
h
5 year survival rate.
i
8 year survival.