Dr. Szeja on Adjuvant Radiation Therapy After Lumpectomy in Elderly Patients With TNBC

Sean Szeja, MD, radiation oncologist, University of Texas Medical Branch, discusses outcomes associated with adjuvant radiation therapy following lumpectomy for elderly patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

A recent retrospective analysis of the SEER database looked at 974 female patients over the age of 70 with early-stage TNBC who had lumpectomy with adjuvant radiation therapy compared with lumpectomy alone, Szeja explains.

Data showed that patients who received adjuvant radiation therapy following lumpectomy had improved overall survival and breast cancer-specific survival (HR, .14). This translates to a one-sixth decrease in death from breast cancer, Szeja says.