Myelosuppression in breast cancer patients receiving postoperative radiation

Abstract

The addition of radiation after mastectomy or breast conservative surgery in high risk breast cancer women can reduces the risk of locoregional recurrence. Weekly CBC is a routine monitor during the period of radiation. But the CBC abnormalities or bone marrow suppression is not much observed in our clinical practice. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the necessary of this routine practice. We had collected the CBC abnormalities in 122 stage I-III breast cancer patients who received postoperative radiation with or without preceding adjuvant chemotherapy in 2008. The fi nding showed that 27 % ,12.2 % and 2.4 % of patients had Hb < 10 g% , ANC < 1,500/mm3 and PLT < 100,000 /mm3 in any weeks during radiation period. The mean duration between adjuvant chemotherapy and starting date of radiation were 4 weeks and 4.8 weeks in the patients who had abnormal CBC and no abnormal CBC respectively. Most of these abnornormalities occurred in the fi rst 3 weeks of radiation. In our conclusion, routine CBC entired radiation period may not be necessary. CBC monitor in the fi rst few weeks and clinical evaluation may be suffi cient.