New Breast Cancer Surgery Reduces Risk and Improves Cosmetic Appearance

An innovative procedure for skin-sparing mastectomy (SSM) with immediate breast reconstruction can successfully treat early breast cancer patients while offering favorable aesthetic results.

Researchers at Shinshu University School of Medicine (Matsumoto, Japan carried out the novel endoscopic-assisted technique on 33 patients diagnosed with primary breast cancer between April 2000 and November 2006. The patients subsequently underwent SSM combined with sentinel node biopsy (SNB). On postoperative histopathological diagnosis, 21 tumors were diagnosed as ductal carcinoma in situ or lobular carcinoma in situ. Twelve tumors were diagnosed as invasive carcinoma, of which eight were accompanied by a wide spreading intraductal component. Two patients were diagnosed as having multicentric carcinomas, which made the standard breast-conserving treatment difficult. Immediate breast reconstruction with a mammary prosthesis was carried out in 30 of 33 patients.

The researchers found that after a mean follow-up period of 51.2 months (range 16–86 months), neither locoregional recurrence nor distant metastasis has been detected. The researchers therefore concluded that combining SSM and SNB with immediate reconstruction could offer patients with early-stage breast cancer favorable aesthetic results without incurring additional oncological risks. The study was published in the October 2008 issue of ANZ Journal of Surgery.

"Although breast-conserving surgeries (BCS) are the most desirable choice for patients with early breast cancer, many have to abandon BCS due to tumors accompanied by extended intraductual components or multiple tumors,” said lead author Kenichi Ito, M.D., of the division of breast and endocrine surgery. "With this new technique, selected patients can be treated for breast cancer without breast deformity.”

Related Links:
Shinshu University School of Medicine