Prospective and comparative evaluation of the toxicity of adjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer.

Purpose: The lack of pathologic breast cancer response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT), a negative prognostic factor, has prompted the addition of chemotherapy to adjuvant radiotherapy. This study aims to investigate prospectively the toxicities of adjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy versus radiotherapy alone.

Patients And Methods: Two groups of patients treated for breast cancer between 1997 and 2002 by NCT, surgery, and radiotherapy with or without concurrent chemotherapy, were matched on age, body mass index (BMI), treatment period, treated side, and surgery type.