Lalani N, et al. - Researchers, herein, focused on the recurrence patterns of primary breast lymphoma (PBL) across 2 academic hospitals in the era of modern systemic-therapy and radiotherapy. They found that breast-only radiotherapy (RT) was the selected mode of treatment for the majority of patients, in whom, additionally, no nodal relapses were detected, suggesting that prophylactic regional nodal irradiation (RNI) may be unnecessary. Vigilant surveillance of bilateral breasts may be warranted in view of the prevalence of contralateral breast involvement at diagnosis and at recurrence.

• Researchers identified patients diagnosed with PBL between October 1994 and June 2016.
• Primary chart review was performed to assess demographic/clinical variables.
• They used the cumulative incidence function to estimate the local control (LC) and the Kaplan–Meier method to estimate overall survival (OS).

• A total of 35 patients were identified.
• Data reported that median follow-up duration was 5.8 years (range 0.3–17.8 years) and median age at diagnosis was 66 years (range 35–86 years).
• The cohort comprised of indolent vs aggressive lymphoma; 57% (n = 20) and 43% (n = 15), respectively.
• Systemic therapy was given to all patients with aggressive lymphoma.
• A total of 30 patients (86%) were treated with radiotherapy (RT).
• The use of breast-only RT was reported in 57% (n = 20); while 23% (n = 7) received regional nodal irradiation (RNI), and 6% (n = 2) received limited-field RT.
• Data reported local recurrences in 3% (n = 1), contralateral breast 9% (n = 3), CNS 6% (n = 2), distant non-CNS 30% (n = 10), both local and distant 3% (n = 1).
• No regional nodal recurrences were documented.
• Researchers found that the 6-year LC rate was 95% for indolent and 81% for aggressive subtypes.
• They also noted that the 6-year OS rate was 87% for indolent and 70% for aggressive subtypes.