The international surgical journal with global reach

This is the Scientific Surgery Archive, which contains all randomized clinical trials in surgery that have been identified by searching the top 50 English language medical journal issues since January 1998. Compiled by Jonothan J. Earnshaw, former Editor-in-Chief, BJS

Internal mammary and medial supraclavicular irradiation in breast cancer. N Engl J Med 2015; 373: 317-327.

Published: 27th August 2015

Authors: Poortmans PM, Collette S, Kirkove C, Van Limbergen E, Budach V, Struikmans H et al for the EORTC Radiation Oncology and Breast Cancer Groups et al.

Conclusion

Some 4004 women with early stage breast cancer were given additional regional nodal irradiation at random, regardless of axillary node status. At ten years, overall survival rates were similar (hazard ratio 0.87, 95 per cent confidence interval 0.76 to 1.0, P=0.06), but disease-free survival was improved by radiotherapy: 72.1 versus 69.1 per cent, P=0.04.

Pubmed Link