Retrospective analysis of local recurrence rate in breast cancer patients treated at the department of surgical oncology in Łódź between 2009 and 2013

The aim of the study was to analyze clinicopathological features in breast cancer patients with local recurrence (LR). Material and methods. A retrospective analysis of database of breast cancer patients operated on in the Department of Surgical Oncology in Łódź from 2 January 2009 to 30 June 2013, identified 1080 women with primary breast cancer and 11 patients with LR. Results. LR rate was 0.23% per year. True recurrence (TR) occurred more frequently in patients with luminal B molecular subtype, in HER-2 positive and in triple-negative subgroups. In one patient with luminal -A subtype new primary (triple negative) occurred. TR were noted predominantly in patients with axillary lymph nodes metastases and with luminal B subtype who did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy but were given only endocrine therapy. LR were observed more frequently in patients who did not receive adjuvant radiotherapy or this treatment was delayed. Minimal surgical margins in postoperative specimens measured by pathologist were 4-25 mm, mean 9.5 mm. Conclusions. The LR rate in patients operated on breast cancer in the Department of Surgical Oncology between 2009 and 2013 was low. TR was diagnosed in patients with non- luminal A breast cancer despite wide surgical margins, especially if the patients did not receive optimal adjuvant systemic treatment or radiotherapy was delayed or omitted. Complete cancer excision followed by an immediate implementation of optimal adjuvant treatment seems to be crucial especially in patients with poor tumor biology.