Background: This study aimed to examine the practice patterns of radiation oncologists in Turkey regarding radiotherapy to the regional lymph nodes, including internal mammary lymph nodes (IMNs), and identify the factors influencing their clinical decisions in breast cancer patients.
Methods: A nationwide, 19-point questionnaire was sent to the physician members of the Turkish Society for Radiation Oncology (TROD).
Results: In total, 165 radiation oncologists completed the survey, corresponding to a 27% response rate. Regional radiotherapy was used in 64.2% of the patients with 1– 3 axillary lymphatic involvement and unfavorable prognostic factors. In contrast, 61.2% of the respondents indicated that IMN should be included in the target volume for regional radiotherapy when the patient had one positive node after axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) in the inner quadrant and central region tumors. However, 71.5% of the respondents chose to include the IMN in the non-inner quadrant and non-central region tumors for patients with four or more positive nodes after ALND. The decision to offer internal mammary lymph node radiotherapy (IMNRT) varied widely and significantly among respondents, years in practice, and the rates of dedicating their clinical time to patients with breast cancer.
Conclusion: The results of this survey revealed significant national variation in attitudes regarding the treatment of IMN. Thus, this study may also help document the impact of future studies on clinical practice.



中文翻译：

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放射肿瘤学家对乳腺癌内乳淋巴结放射治疗的方法：土耳其放射肿瘤学会乳腺癌研究组（TROD 06-005 调查研究）

背景：本研究旨在检查土耳其放射肿瘤学家对区域淋巴结（包括内乳淋巴结（IMN））进行放射治疗的实践模式，并确定影响其对乳腺癌患者临床决策的因素。
方法：向土耳其放射肿瘤学会 (TROD) 的医师成员发送一份全国性的 19 点问卷。
结果：总共有 165 名放射肿瘤学家完成了调查，响应率为 27%。64.2% 有 1-3 个腋窝淋巴受累且预后不良的患者使用了区域放疗。相比之下，61.2%的受访者表示，当患者在内象限和中央区域肿瘤的腋窝淋巴结清扫（ALND）后有一个阳性淋巴结时，IMN应纳入区域放疗的靶区。然而，对于 ALND 后有四个或更多阳性淋巴结的患者，71.5% 的受访者选择将 IMN 包括在非内象限和非中心区域肿瘤中。提供内乳淋巴结放疗 (IMNRT) 的决定在受访者中存在很大差异，实践多年，
结论：本次调查结果显示，各国对 IMN 治疗的态度存在显着差异。因此，这项研究也可能有助于记录未来研究对临床实践的影响。