Time course and prognosis of local recurrence following primary radiation therapy for early breast cancer.

The frequency, time course, and prognosis of local recurrence following primary radiation therapy in 152 patients with early breast cancer treated before 1967 were examined. Local recurrence occurred at a constant rate over the first 14 years after treatment. The crude 15-year local recurrence rate was 22%. Of the 30 patients who developed an isolated local recurrence and underwent definitive secondary surgery, the 10-year freedom from distant relapse rate was 50%. These results indicate that breast cancer patients treated by primary radiation therapy require long-term follow-up to detect curable local recurrences.