Patterns of Care Study for Postmastectomy Radiotherapy in Japan: Its Role in Monitoring the Patterns of Changes in Practice

摘要

Background: Three prospective randomized clinical trials (RCT) in the 1990s demonstrated the survival benefit of postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) for patients with locally advanced breast cancer. The present study was performed to evaluate whether the Patterns of Care Study (PCS) fulfills a role in monitoring the patterns of changes in clinical practices in Japan.