Breast-conserving surgery with or without irradiation for early-stage hormone receptor-positive breast cancer in older women

Prof. Ian Kunkler

Limited level 1 evidence is available on the omission of radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery in older women with hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer receiving adjuvant endocrine therapy. The multinational phase 3 PRIME II trial randomized women 65 years or older with HR-positive, node-negative, T1 or T2 primary breast cancer, who received adjuvant endocrine therapy after BCS with clear excision margins, to whole breast irradiation or no irradiation. Ten-year results of the trial showed that omission of radiotherapy was associated with an increased incidence of local recurrence, but had no detrimental effect on distant recurrence as the first event or overall survival (quick take video summary).