Abstract: Objective To explore the relationship between the radiotherapy effect of axillary lymph node positive breast cancer patient after modified radical mastectomy and estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Methods From January 2008 to January 2013, 350 axillary lymph nodes positive breast cancer patients after modified radical mastectomy in Breast Surgery Department of Zhangzhou Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University were studied. Among them 216 cases received radiotherapy, 134 patients did not receive radiotherapy. According to the ER, PR and HER2 immunohistochemistry results, all the patients were divided into triple negative breast cancer (ER-/PR-/HER2-), HER2 positive group (ER-/PR-/HER2+), Luminal B group (ER+/PR+/HER2+) and Luminal A (ER+/PR+/HER2-) group. The local recurrence rate, distant metastasis rate and diseasefree survival rate of 4 groups were compared. Results The median follow up time was 48 months, radiotherapy decreased the local recurrence rates of triple negative breast cancer group, HER2 positive group, Luminal B group and Luminal A group (χ2=6.23, P=0.01;  χ2=8.02， P=0.00;   χ2=15.43, P=0.00;  χ2=4.47, P=0.03). Compared with patients who did not receive radiotherapy, the distant metastasis rates (χ2=4.18, P=0.04;  χ2=6.35, P=0.014;  χ2=43.31, P=0.00) and the diseasefree survival rates (χ2=9.78, P=0.00;  χ2=10.83, P=0.00;  χ2=16.95, P=0.00) of the first three groups in patients received radiotherapy showed marked difference. However, radiotherapy had no effect on the distant metastasis rate and diseasefree survival rate (P>0.05). Conclusion The different states of ER， PR and HER2 relate tightly to the radiotherapy effect of axillary lymph nodes positive breast cancer patients treated with modified radical mastectomy.

Key words: Receptors, estrogen, Receptors, progesterone, Receptor, epidermal growth factor, Modified radical mastectomy