A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Phase III Study of Medial vs. Entire Supraclavicualr Lymph Node Radiation Therapy for Patients With Pathologically Positive Axillary Lymph Node and High Risk of Recurrence After Breast Cancer Surgery
Locally advanced breast cancer has high-risk local regional recurrence after surgery. Radiotherapy could reduce the local regional recurrence and improve disease free survival and overall survival. Regional lymph node irradiation is the important part of breast cancer radiotherapy. However, there are some controversies about regional lymph node delineation, especially the supraclavicular irradiation volume. Many studies had confirmed that posterolateral region of the supraclavicular fossa (also named Posterior neck lymph node) had a high risk involvement based on the mapping of recurrence nodes. This randomized phase III trial compares medial supraclavicular lymph node irradiation with entire supraclavicular lymph node irradiation in patients with pathologically positive axillary lymph node and high risk of recurrence after mastectomy or breast conservative surgery. It is not yet known if radiation works better with entire supraclavicular fossa than medial supraclavicular fossa.
• ECOG 0-1
• Newly diagnosed invasive breast cancer
• Initial clincial diagonosis stage is T1-4, N0-3a/b, M0: If neoadjuvant chemotherapy was not administered: pathological stage is T1-3N2-3a/b, M0; If neoadjuvant chemotherapy was administered：clinical stage III or pathological stage is T1-4N1-3a/bM0.
• Underwent breast conservative surgery or Mastectomy with or without breast reconstruction with clear negative margin. At least, axillary level I and level II should be cleared with ≥10 lymph node (including the number of sentinal lymph node) . Level III dissection and internal mamamry node dissection are not required, but may be performed at the discretion of the surgeon.
• Should receive ≥6 cycles standard neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant chemotherapy (taxane and/or anthracycline based).
• Enrolled on the trial within 12 weeks of the later of two dates: the final breast cancer surgical procedure or administration of the last cycle of cytotoxic chemotherapy.
• For ER and/or PR positive patients, the duration of anticipated endocrine therapy should be≥5 year ; For HER2 postive patients, the duration of anticipated herceptin should be 1 year.
• Writtern, informed consent.