Purpose: To determine the frequency, palliative effects of radiotherapy (RT) and survival of patients developing supraclavicular nodal relapse (SNR) after definitive surgery for non-disseminated breast cancer (BCa).
Methods: A retrospective study of individuals treated by breast conserving surgery or modified radical mastectomy for Stage I to III BCa at a single institution during a 17-year period (1980-96) was undertaken.
Results: Of the 536 patients studied, 22 (4%) developed SNR. Among the seven symptomatic women, the complete subjective response rate after RT was 71%. Of the 18 evaluable patients with manifest SNRs, tumor regression was complete in 12 (66.6%), partial in one (5.6%), and absent in five (27.8%). The overall median survival was 11.5 months; five patients (23%) survived for at least two years.
Conclusion: Supraclavicular nodal relapse in breast cancer patients occurs infrequently. The application of radiotherapy for palliation of SNR was fully justified by the perceived results even though long-term survival was not often observed.