Contralateral Prophylactic Mastectomy at the Time of Therapeutic Mastectomy for Local Recurrence of Breast Cancer: Influence of Genetic Testing and Other Factors
ABSTRACT Background and Objectives Surgical management of ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) is often mastectomy. No guidelines specifically address contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) for this population. We assessed factors associated with CPM at the time of IBTR mastectomy. Methods Patients undergoing mastectomy for IBTR (10/2008‐5/2024) were identified. Demographics, tumor characteristics, and treatment details were assessed. Results Of the 381 eligible IBTR patients, 221 (58.0%) had a unilateral therapeutic mastectomy and 160 (42.0%) underwent mastectomy with CPM. CPM patients were younger ( p < 0.0001), with lower clinical T category tumors ( p < 0.001) and less HR + HER2‐ invasive disease ( p = 0.004). CPM patients were more likely to undergo germline genetic testing (63.1% vs 41.6%, p < 0.0001) and were twice as likely to have immediate breast reconstruction ( p < 0.0001). On multivariable analysis, younger age, HR‐HER2 + IBTR subtype, pathogenic variants known at the time of surgery (relative to negative testing and/or no genetic testing), immediate breast reconstruction, and prior radiation for index cancer were each associated with CPM (all p < 0.05). Conclusion In our series of 381 patients treated with mastectomy for IBTR, 42% also had a CPM. Multiple factors, including age, tumor stage and biology, immediate breast reconstruction, and genetic testing may impact CPM choice.
Immediate Breast Reconstruction Outcomes in Patients with Prior Mantle and Whole Breast Irradiation
Background: Limited studies have detailed the risk of mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction among women who previously received mantle field radiation. Methods: A single institution retrospective review from 2010 to 2020 of patients previously treated with mantle field radiation (MF-RT) and subsequent mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction was performed. Patients with prior whole breast irradiation (WBI) were also included as a reference group. Demographic, comorbidity, and surgical factors were collected. The primary outcome was major complications, defined as those requiring reoperation, intravenous antibiotics, or debridement. Results: Fourteen patients with prior MF-RT (27 breasts) and 129 with prior WBI (132 breasts) underwent mastectomy with immediate reconstruction. Prior MF-RT patients were significantly younger (43.8 versus 57.5, P < 0.001) and had significantly lower body mass index (23.6 versus 26.8, P = 0.004) compared with prior WBI patients. Nipple-sparing mastectomy was significantly more common in the mantle than in the WBI patients (78.6% versus 35.9%, P = 0.03). Most (13, 92.9%) prior mantle patients underwent tissue expander/implant-based reconstruction. Three (21.4%) prior MF-RT patients had major complications at any point, but none required an alternative type of reconstruction. On multiple variable analysis, there was no significant difference in major complication risk among prior MF-RT versus WBI patients (HR 0.74, confidence interval 0.20–2.70, P = 0.74). Conclusion: Immediate tissue expander/implant-based reconstruction in prior MF-RT patients seems safe, with a complication risk similar to that of prior WBI patients.
Omission of Axillary Dissection Following Nodal Downstaging With Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy
ImportanceData on oncological outcomes after omission of axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) in patients with breast cancer that downstages from node positive to negative with neoadjuvant chemotherapy are sparse. Additionally, the best axillary surgical staging technique in this scenario is unknown.ObjectiveTo investigate oncological outcomes after sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) with dual-tracer mapping or targeted axillary dissection (TAD), which combines SLNB with localization and retrieval of the clipped lymph node.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsIn this multicenter retrospective cohort study that was conducted at 25 centers in 11 countries, 1144 patients with consecutive stage II to III biopsy-proven node-positive breast cancer were included between April 2013 and December 2020. The cumulative incidence rates of axillary, locoregional, and any invasive (locoregional or distant) recurrence were determined by competing risk analysis.ExposureOmission of ALND after SLNB or TAD.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe primary end points were the 3-year and 5-year rates of any axillary recurrence. Secondary end points included locoregional recurrence, any invasive (locoregional and distant) recurrence, and the number of lymph nodes removed.ResultsA total of 1144 patients (median [IQR] age, 50 [41-59] years; 78 [6.8%] Asian, 105 [9.2%] Black, 102 [8.9%] Hispanic, and 816 [71.0%] White individuals; 666 SLNB [58.2%] and 478 TAD [41.8%]) were included. A total of 1060 patients (93%) had N1 disease, 619 (54%) had ERBB2 (formerly HER2)–positive illness, and 758 (66%) had a breast pathologic complete response. TAD patients were more likely to receive nodal radiation therapy (85% vs 78%; P = .01). The clipped node was successfully retrieved in 97% of TAD cases and 86% of SLNB cases (without localization). The mean (SD) number of sentinel lymph nodes retrieved was 3 (2) vs 4 (2) (P &lt; .001), and the mean (SD) number of total lymph nodes removed was 3.95 (1.97) vs 4.44 (2.04) (P &lt; .001) in the TAD and SLNB groups, respectively. The 5-year rates of any axillary, locoregional, and any invasive recurrence in the entire cohort were 1.0% (95% CI, 0.49%-2.0%), 2.7% (95% CI, 1.6%-4.1%), and 10% (95% CI, 8.3%-13%), respectively. The 3-year cumulative incidence of axillary recurrence did not differ between TAD and SLNB (0.5% vs 0.8%; P = .55).Conclusions and RelevanceThe results of this cohort study showed that axillary recurrence was rare in this setting and was not significantly lower after TAD vs SLNB. These results support omission of ALND in this population.
Outpatient surgery benchmarks and practice variation patterns: case controlled study
Background: Despite numerous potential benefits of outpatient surgery, there is currently a lack of national benchmarking data available for hospitals and surgeons to compare their own outcomes as they transition toward outpatient surgery. Materials and methods: Patients who underwent 14 common general surgery operations from 2016 to 2020 were identified in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database. Operations were selected based on frequency and the ability to be performed both inpatient and outpatient. Postoperative complications and readmissions were compared between patients who underwent inpatient vs outpatient surgery. After adjusting for patient comorbidities, multivariable models assessed the effect of patient characteristics on the odds of experiencing postoperative complications. A separate multi-institutional study of 21 affiliated hospitals assessed practice variation. Results: In 13 of the 14 studied procedures, complications were lower for patients who were selected for outpatient surgery (all P<0.01); minimally invasive (MIS) adrenalectomy showed no difference (P=0.61). Multivariable analysis confirmed these findings; the odds of experiencing any adverse events were lower following outpatient surgery in all operations but MIS adrenalectomy (OR 0.97; 95% CI: 0.47–2.02). Analysis of institutional practices demonstrated variation in the rate of outpatient surgery in certain breast, endocrine, and hernia repair operations. Conclusions: Institutional practice patterns may explain the national variation in the rate of outpatient surgery. While the present data does not support the adoption of outpatient surgery to less optimal candidates, addressing unexplained practice variations could result in improved utilization of outpatient surgery.
Repeat sentinel lymph node surgery for locally recurrent breast cancer after prior mastectomy
AbstractBackground and ObjectivesCurrent NCCN guidelines discourage repeat sentinel lymph node (SLN) surgery in patients with local recurrence (LR) of breast cancer following prior mastectomy. This study addresses the feasibility and therapeutic impact of this approach.MethodsWe identified 73 patients managed with repeat SLN surgery for post−mastectomy isolated LR. Lymphatic mapping was performed using radioisotope with or without lymphoscintigraphy and/or blue dye. Successful SLN surgery was defined as retrieval of ≥1 SLN.ResultsSLN surgery was successful in 65/73 (89%), identifying a median of 2 (range 1–4) SLNs, with 10/65 (15%) SLN‐positive. Among these, 5/10 (50%) proceeded to ALND. In unsuccessful cases, 1/8 (13%) proceeded to ALND. Seven of 10 SLN‐positive patients and 50/55 SLN‐negative patients received adjuvant radiotherapy. Chemotherapy was administered in 31 (42%) and endocrine therapy in 50 of 57 HR+ patients (88%). After 28 months median follow‐up, eight patients relapsed with the first site local in two, distant in five, and synchronous local/distant in one. No nodal recurrences were observed.ConclusionsSLN surgery for patients with LR post−mastectomy is feasible and informative. This approach appears oncologically sound, decreases axillary dissection rates and may be used to tailor adjuvant radiation target volumes and systemic therapies.