20-year follow-up of academic EORTC boost no-boost trial earns Best Abstract at ECC 2015

Results of a 20-year follow-up of the academic EORTC 22881-10882 boost no-boost trial presented as a "Best Abstract" at the European Cancer Congress 2015 in Vienna show that young age, high-grade invasive tumor, and the presence of associated ductal carcinoma in situ were all factors increasing the local recurrence rate. An earlier analysis had already shown that young age and high-grade invasive carcinoma were the most important risk factors for local relapse in this trial conducted from 1989 to 1996.

Dr. Conny Vrieling of the Clinique des Grangettes in Geneva, Switzerland, and lead author of this long term academic study says, "At a median follow-up of 17.2 years, the long-term results show the important and ongoing negative influence of additional ductal carcinoma in situ on local control. The boost still had a positive effect on local control after adjusting for systemic therapy, even after 5 years."

Dr. Denis Lacombe, EORTC Director General points out, "These results also demonstrate the substantial benefits afforded by academic clinical research. Only academic trials can take on the extended responsibility of following patients for protracted time periods, and we decidedly need the knowledge these efforts provide us. It is, indeed, extremely important that researchers are able to follow-up participants in clinical trials, and likewise, it is critical that researchers have access to these data for meaningful analyses."

This 20 year follow-up included a total of 1,616 patients with a microscopically complete resection in the central pathology review out of the 5,569 patients with stage I and II breast cancer who underwent breast-conserving therapy and were randomized between no boost and a 16-Gy boost.