Impact of breath hold on regional nodal irradiation and heart volume in field in left breast cancer adjuvant irradiation.

PURPOSE: Compared to the free-breathing technique, adjuvant left breast irradiation after breast-conserving surgery or mastectomy using the breath-hold method significantly reduces the heart mean dose, Left anterior descending artery, and ipsilateral lung doses. Movement with deep inspiration may also reduce heart volume in the field and regional node doses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pre-radiotherapy planning CT was performed in the free-breathing, and breath-hold techniques using RPM, demographic information, clinicopathological data, heart volume in the field, heart mean dose, LAD mean dose, and regional nodal doses were calculated in both free breathing and DIBH. Fifty patients with left breast cancer receiving left breast adjuvant radiation were enrolled. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in axillary LN coverage between the two techniques, except for SCL maximum dose, Axilla I node maximum dose, and Axilla II minimum dose in favor of the breath hold technique. The mean age was 47.54 years, 78% had GII IDC, 66% had positive LVSI results, and 74% of patients had T2. The breath hold strategy resulted in considerably decreased mean heart dose (p = 0.000), LAD dose (p = 0.000), ipsilateral lung mean dose (p = 0.012), and heart volume if the field (p = 0.013). The mean cardiac dosage and the dose of the LAD were significantly correlated (p = 0.000, R = 0.673). Heart volume in the field and heart mean dosage was not significantly correlated (p = 0.285, r = - 0.108). CONCLUSION: When compared to free breathing scans, DIBH procedures result in considerably reduced dosage to the OAR and no appreciable changes in dose exposure to regional lymph node stations in patients with left-sided breast cancer.

Body Mass Index As A Prognostic Factor In HER-2 Positive Early Breast Cancer Patients And Its Effect On Duration Of Treatment With Trastuzumab: A Retrospective Study.

Objectives: To evaluate prognostic value of body mass index in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive early breast cancer, and to evaluate the duration of trastuzumab administration. Method: The retrospective study was conducted from March 2020 to December 2021 at Kafrelsheikh University Hospital and Zagazig University Hospital, Egypt, and comprised data of women diagnosed between 2015 and 2017 with stage III human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positivebreast cancer, who were treated with adjuvant chemotherapy and trastuzumab for a year. Body massindex had been calculated at the time of diagnosis, and data was divided into 3 groups: average weight group A, overweight group B and obese group C. Disease-free survival, distant disease-free survival and overall survival were estimated for all the three groups. Data was analysed using SPSS 26. RESULTS: The mean age of 160 cases was 44.99±11.35 years(range: 25-66 years). There were 93(58.1) postmenopausal women, 60(37.5%) had positive family history and 128 (80%) underwent modified radical mastectomy. There were 60(37.5%) patients in group A, 49(30.6%) in group B and 51(31.9%) in group C. There was significant association of body mass index with disease-free survival and distant disease-free survival (p<0.05), but not with overall survival (p>0.05). Significant difference was noted between body mass index and duration of trastuzumab (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Body massindex wasfound to be an independent prognostic factor for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positiveearly breast cancer.