Anna Maria Cerrotta

Publications (2)8.58 Total impact

• Source

  Available from: Roberto Agresti

  Article: Axillary dissection versus no axillary dissection in elderly patients with breast cancer and no palpable axillary nodes: results after 15 years of follow-up.

  Gabriele Martelli, Rosalba Miceli, Maria Grazia Daidone, Gaetano Vetrella, Anna Maria Cerrotta, Domenico Piromalli, Roberto Agresti
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  ABSTRACT: To assess the long-term safety of no axillary clearance in elderly patients with breast cancer and nonpalpable axillary nodes. Lymph node evaluation in elderly patients with early breast cancer and clinically negative axillary nodes is controversial. Our randomized trial with 5-year follow-up showed no breast cancer mortality advantage for axillary clearance compared with observation in older patients with T1N0 disease. We further investigated axillary treatment in a retrospective analysis of 671 consecutive patients, aged ≥ 70 years, with operable breast cancer and a clinically clear axilla, treated between 1987 and 1992; 172 received and 499 did not receive axillary dissection; 20 mg/day tamoxifen was prescribed for at least 2 years. We used multivariable analysis to take account of the lack of randomization. After median follow-up of 15 years (interquartile range 14-17 years) there was no significant difference in breast cancer mortality between the axillary and no axillary clearance groups. Crude cumulative 15-year incidence of axillary disease in the no axillary dissection group was low: 5.8% overall and 3.7% for pT1 patients. Elderly patients with early breast cancer and clinically negative nodes did not benefit in terms of breast cancer mortality from immediate axillary dissection in this nonrandomized study. Sentinel node biopsy could also be foregone due to the very low cumulative incidence of axillary disease in this age group. Axillary dissection should be restricted to the small number of patients who later develop overt axillary disease.
  Annals of Surgical Oncology 01/2011; 18(1):125-33. · 4.17 Impact Factor
• Article: Breast cancer in the elderly: the role of adjuvant radiation therapy.

  Patrizia Olmi, Carlo Fallai, Anna Maria Cerrotta, Laura Lozza, Donatella Badii
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  ABSTRACT: To evaluate available data on breast conserving surgery (BCS) with or without radiation therapy (RT), and alternative options (e.g. Tamoxifen alone) (Tam), focusing specifically on the older patients. The MEDLINE was searched for the terms elderly, BCS, adjuvant/postoperative RT, Tamoxifen, and randomized trials from 1992 to 2002. Authors reviewed papers of general interest on the elderly and breast cancer (BC), meta-analysis, randomized trials on BCS+/-RT and Tam+/-surgery without RT, retrospective non-randomized trials, and reported on prognostic factors for local recurrence in BCS alone, including biomarkers, attempts made to define a low-risk group, and methods of modification of the current, protracted standard adjuvant RT course. Postoperative RT after BCS has a firm rationale; in current clinical practice, if the BCS+RT is medically appropriate and the patient shares the choice, after a full information of the available options and their implications, it is clinically sound to propose this approach. However, there is controversy whether a subgroup of elderly patients could be safely spared: in this setting a randomized trial is clearly warranted.
  Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology 12/2003; 48(2):165-78. · 4.41 Impact Factor