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Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast

Carcinoma, Ductal

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Patients undergo radiation therapy daily on Monday-Friday for 5-6 weeks.

Patients undergo hypofractionated radiation therapy daily on Monday-Friday for 3-4 weeks.

Radiation Therapy

Questionnaire Administration

Quality-of-Life Assessment

Laboratory Biomarker Analysis

Hypofractionated Radiation Therapy

Matthew Poppe, MD

This randomized phase III trial studies how well hypofractionated radiation therapy works in preventing recurrence in patients with stage IIa-IIIa cancer who have undergone mastectomy. Hypofractionated radiation therapy delivers higher doses of radiation therapy over a shorter period of time and may kill more tumor cells that remain after surgery and have fewer side effects.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To evaluate whether the reconstruction complication rate at 24 months post radiation is non-inferior with hypofractionation.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To evaluate the incidence of acute and late radiation complications, based on Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) 4.0 toxicity.

II. To evaluate the local and local regional recurrence rate. III. To compare reconstruction complication rates based on reconstruction method (autologous +/- implant versus \[vs\] implant only) and timing of reconstruction received (immediate vs. intent for delayed).

TERTIARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To evaluate reconstructed breast photographic cosmetic scores with hypofractionated radiation compared to standard fractionation 24 months after radiation.

II. To evaluate reconstructed breast photographic cosmetic scores 24 months after radiation based on the method and timing of reconstruction received.

III. To estimate the incidence of arm lymphedema by treatment arm. IV. To compare physical well-being, psychosocial well-being, sexual well-being, satisfaction with breast/nipples/abdomen, and satisfaction with overall outcome between the treatment arms at 24 months after radiation.

V. To estimate patient satisfaction with trial participation by treatment arm as measured by the Was It Worth It Questionnaire at 24 months after radiation.

VI. To compare the direct and indirect patient costs for radiation therapy by treatment arm.

VII. To compare patient reported total health care service utilization 12 months after the completion of radiation.

VIII. To compare the economic impact of treatment. IX. To analyze polymorphisms in MDM2 and in genes including TP53, ATM, TGFB1, IL4, IL6, and IL10 and determine correlations with a higher likelihood of adverse radiation reactions (radiation sensitivity) and with toxicities.

X. To analyze polymorphisms in MDM2 and in genes including TP53, ATM, TGFB1, IL4, IL6, and IL10 to determine correlations with secondary endpoints such as local-regional control.

OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 groups.

GROUP I: Patients undergo radiation therapy daily on Monday-Friday for 5-6 weeks.

GROUP II: Patients undergo hypofractionated radiation therapy daily on Monday-Friday for 3-4 weeks.

After completion of study, patients are followed up for 5 years.

Hypofractionated Radiation Therapy After Mastectomy in Preventing Recurrence in Patients With Stage IIa-IIIa Breast Cancer

RT CHARM: Phase III Randomized Trial of Hypofractionated Post Mastectomy Radiation With Breast Reconstruction

Will be tested using a two-sample test of proportions. The test statistic will be calculated and interim analysis for futility will be performed. The primary analyses will be an intent-to-treat analysis where all patients randomized will be included in the analysis and will be analyzed based on the arm they were randomized to regardless of actual radiation schedule received. Due to the random treatment assignment with stratification for the timing of reconstruction and type of reconstruction, it is expected that the baseline patient characteristics, including the planned reconstruction procedures, are roughly balanced across the two treatment arms. A sensitivity analysis stratified by timing and type of reconstruction surgery will be conducted.

The proportion of patients with acute or late radiation complications, will be estimated separately by treatment arm and will be compared across the two arms using two-sample test of proportions (Z test) with a two-sided alternative.

The cumulative incidence of local and local regional recurrence will be estimated separately by treatment arm using the cumulative incidence function treating death as the competing risk and will be compared using Gray's test.

Local and local regional recurrence free survival will be summarized for each arm using the Kaplan-Meier estimators, and will be compared using a log rank test.

Between-arm differences in reconstruction complication rates will be assessed separately within each of the six subgroups based on type and timing of reconstruction. Between-arm differences in complication rates will also be assessed within the two broader subgroups of patients who receive implant only and those who receive autologous based reconstruction. Within each subgroup, the comparison will be done using a two-sample Z test of proportions with a two-sided alternative.

Two year photographic cosmetic scores will be summarized by treatment arm and will be compared across the treatment arms using a Wilcoxon rank-sum test with a two-sided alternative. The proportions of patients with poor global cosmetic score (defined as a cosmetic score of 3: poor or large difference) at 24 months after radiation will be summarized separately by treatment arm and will be compared using a two-sample test of proportions with a two-sided alternative.

Two year photographic cosmetic scores and the proportions of patients with poor global cosmetic score will be assessed separately by timing and method of reconstruction subgroups using similar method described above.

The proportions of patients with arm lymphedema (defined as a change of 10% or greater in ipsilateral arm volume from the pre-radiation therapy \[RT\] volume) at 2 year post radiation will be summarized and will be compared across the two treatment arms using a two-sample test of proportions (Z test) with a two-sided alternative. Change in ipsilateral arm volume at each of the following time-points: 6, 12, 24 and 60 months post-radiation (relative to pre-RT) will be compared using a two sample t-test with a two-sided alternative. The changes in arm volume at these time points will also be analyzed as a repeated measure using a linear mixed model with patient as the random effect.

Change in Lymphedema and Breast Cancer Questionnaire and Breast Lymphedema scores at 24 months post-radiation (relative to pre-RT) and patient satisfaction scores as measured by the Breast Questionnaire overall outcome scale will be summarized and will be compared across the treatment arms using a two-sample t-test with a two-sided alternative. Linear mixed models will also be used to assess these scores longitudinally.

Was It Worth It questionnaire responses to each of the five questions at 24 months will be summarized and the will be compared across treatment arms using a chi-square tests with a two-sided alternative.

Direct costs of medical care to each patient will be estimated using utilization information from the health care expense survey and the health care utilization survey, along with publicly available Medicare reimbursement rates. In particular, based on the reported number of outpatient visits to the radiation oncologist, medical oncologist, surgeon who performed mastectomy, plastic surgeon or physical therapist, and the number of visits to the emergency room, the number of hospital admissions, and the number of surgical procedures to breast reconstruction, Medicare reimbursement rates can be used to estimate what the direct cost to each patient would be if that patient were covered by Medicare. Generalized linear models will then be used to model these costs as a function of treatment, time on study, and all available baseline patient characteristics to assess the extent to which estimated direct cost is impacted by the type of radiation dosing.

Spots Global Cancer Trial Database for medullary breast carcinoma