Real-World Practice of Hypofractionated Radiotherapy in Patients With Invasive Breast Cancer

Abstract

<p><strong>Purpose:</strong> Application of hypofractionated radiotherapy (HFRT) is growing in patients with breast cancer (BC). This study aimed to explore a real-world practice of HFRT in early and locally advanced BC.</p><p><strong>Methods:</strong> Patients with invasive BC between 2015 and 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Radiotherapy (RT) was delivered by HFRT and conventionally fractionated radiotherapy (CFRT). Locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRRFS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were calculated by Kaplan–Meier curve and compared by Log-rank test. The effect of treatment modality on DFS was estimated by univariate and multivariable analyses.</p><p><strong>Results:</strong> A total of 1,010 patients were included in this study, and 903 (89.4%) were treated with HFRT. At a median follow-up of 49.5 months, there was no significant difference in a 4-year cumulative incidence of LRRFS in HFRT group (1.5%) and in CFRT group (3.8%) (p = 0.23), neither in different nodal stages nor in N2–3 patients with different molecular subtypes. The 4-year DFS was 93.5% in HFRT group compared with 89.9% in CFRT group with no significant difference either (p = 0.17). Univariate and multivariable analyses also showed no significant difference in DFS between HFRT and CFRT group. However, DFS of HFRT group tended to be lower in N2–3 patients with triple negative BC compared with that of CFRT group (76.2% versus 100%).</p><p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> HFRT can achieve similar cumulative incidence of LRRFS and DFS in patients with BC after lumpectomy or mastectomy, and also in different nodal stage, and in locally advanced stage with different molecular subtypes.</p>