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Radiotherapy and tamoxifen benefitted women with locally excised DCIS
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In an updated analysis of the UK/ANZ DCIS Trial, the long-term benefit of radiotherapy was confirmed and a benefit of tamoxifen treatment was observed in women with locally excised ductal carcinoma in situ.
According to initial results of the trial, adjuvant radiotherapy decreased the recurrence of ipsilateral invasive breast cancer by 55% and ductal carcinoma in situ by 64%, but the effects of tamoxifen were much smaller. Jack Cuzick, PhD, head of the Cancer Research UK Centre for Epidemiology, Mathematics and Statistics, London, presented updated findings from the trial.
Researchers randomly assigned 1,694 women with completely locally excised ductal carcinoma in situ to radiotherapy, tamoxifen or both. Median follow-up was 12.7 years.
Although radiotherapy had no effect on contralateral breast cancer, it continued to reduce the incidence of ipsilateral invasive disease (HR=0.32; 95% CI, 0.19-0.56) and ipsilateral ductal carcinoma in situ (HR=0.38; 95% CI, 0.22-0.63).
Treatment with tamoxifen reduced all diseases recurrences by 29% (95% CI, 0.58-0.88). There was a 5% decrease in recurrence of ipsilateral invasive disease (95% CI, 0.66-1.38), a 30% decrease in recurrence of ipsilateral ductal carcinoma in situ (95% CI, 0.51-0.86), and a 56% decrease for contralateral tumors (95% CI, 0.25-0.77).
Overall, patients in the radiotherapy alone group demonstrated a 59% decrease in recurrence (95% CI, 0.30-0.57). Patients in the tamoxifen alone group showed a reduction of 29% (95% CI, 0.57-0.87).
“There were no clear differences in other cancers or causes of death across any treatments at this stage,” Cuzick said during the presentation.
For more information:
- Cuzick J. #34.