The Value of Nomograms in Pre-Operative Prediction of Lymphovascular Invasion in Primary Breast Cancer Undergoing Modified Radical Surgery: Based on Multiparametric Ultrasound and Clinicopathologic Indicators.

The purpose of this study was to explore the value of pre-operative prediction of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) in primary breast cancer patients undergoing modified radical mastectomy and to develop a nomogram based on multiparametric ultrasound and clinicopathologic indicators. All patients with primary breast cancer confirmed by pre-operative biopsy underwent B-mode ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound examinations. Post-operative pathology was used as the gold standard to identify LVI. Lasso regression was used to select predictors most related to LVI. A nomogram was developed to calculate the diagnostic efficacy. We bootstrapped the data for 500 times to perform internal verification, drawing a calibration curve to verify prediction ability. A total of 244 primary breast cancer patients were included. LVI was observed in 77 patients. Ten predictors associated with LVI were selected by Lasso regression. The area under the curve, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for the nomogram were 0.918, 92.2%, 76.7% and 81.6%, respectively. And the nomogram calibration curve showed good consistency between the predicted probability and the actual probability. The nomogram developed could be used to predict LVI in primary breast cancer patients undergoing modified radical mastectomy and to help in clinical decision-making.

Assessing the needs of Hungarian breast cancer patients for modern oncoplastic breast surgical treatment. Questionnaire study of 500 patients / A magyar emlorákos betegek igényei a korszeru onkoplasztikus emlosebészeti ellátásra. 500 beteg kérdoíves vizsgálata

INTRODUCTION: The significant need for breast reconstruction resulting from the spread of oncoplastic breast surgery raises a number of systemic issues. Clarification and regulation of the indications are needed for aesthetic changes of the reconstructed breast due to oncotherapy treatments, ageing and technical problems of implants; a number of operations, targeted aesthetic goals as well as surgical capacities and financial background should also be determined. AIM: Our aim was to conduct a survey on the opinions and needs of the Hungarian breast cancer population about a modern breast reconstruction system. PATIENT AND METHOD: A study was conducted enrolling 500 patients who underwent mastectomy with immediate or delayed reconstruction. A structured questionnaire containing eleven questions was used to measure the attitude for loss and reconstruction of breast, the expectation of cosmetic outcome and qualification of the operating surgeon and the needs relating to the health system and funding. RESULTS: The median age was 47 years (min.-max.: 26-73), 59% (n = 294) was married and 52% (n = 260) had graduated in university. The majority of women (70%; n = 348) would like to have nakedly also similar breasts after the reconstruction process. To achieve this, 43% (n = 217) and 37% (n = 184) would undergo maximum two or four procedures, respectively, supported by the national health insurance company. 86% (n = 430) would like to choose qualified breast surgeon for her treatment. CONCLUSION: The modern oncoplastic treatment raises complex, systemic issues. Women with breast cancer would like to have qualified breast surgeons restoring their breasts by two operations, all funded by the national health insurance company. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(29): 1221-1228.

Peri-Operative Antibiotic Prophylaxis Does Not Reduce Surgical Site Infection in Breast Cancer.

Background: The reported rate of surgical site infection (SSI) in breast surgery is often higher than expected. Using antibiotic prophylaxis to reduce SSI is debatable because of the risk of developing bacteria resistance and the cost burden. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of antibiotic prophylaxis in breast surgery and the factors predisposing patients to SSI. Methods: A retrospective-prospective (ambispective) study was conducted in the Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital, P.R. China. The retrospective antibiotic-using group was composed of patients found to have breast cancer between January 2008 and October 2010. The prospective non-antibiotic-using group was composed of patients identified between November 2010 and November 2013. Pre-operative, peri-operative, and post-operative clinical data were analyzed. Results: The SSI rate of the non-prophylaxis and prophylaxis groups was 1.1% (11/1,022) and 1.2% (12/1,034), respectively. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was related to SSI in the non-prophylaxis group (p = 0.026). Staphylococcus aureus was the predominant microorganism responsible for SSI, without obvious resistance to a widely used first-generation cephalosporin. Conclusions: Peri-operative antibiotic prophylaxis is of no significant value in preventing SSI in breast cancer surgery. Our results indicated that neoadjuvant chemotherapy might be a risk factor doe SSI, but further research is needed because of the sample size disparity between infected and uninfected groups.

A randomised controlled trial of the pectoral nerves-2 (PECS-2) block for radical mastectomy.

We randomly allocated 50 women scheduled for radical mastectomy to pectoral nerves-2 (PECS-2) block (n = 25) or no block (n = 25), 20 and 22 of whom we analysed for the primary outcome of a cumulative 24-h postoperative morphine dose. We gave intra-operative sufentanil, magnesium, dexamethasone and droperidol. Participants received regular postoperative paracetamol, ibuprofen and patient-controlled intravenous morphine. Pectoral nerves-2 block reduced mean (SD) cumulative 24 h postoperative morphine dose from 9.7 (8.9) mg to 5.0 (5.4) mg and 48 h morphine dose from 12.8 (12.5) mg to 6.0 (6.5) mg, p = 0.04 for both. The mean (SD) pain scores 24 h and 48 h after surgery were similar with or without block: 0.8 (1.4) vs. 1.2 (1.9), p = 0.39; and 0.2 (0.4) vs. 0.9 (1.8), p = 0.09, respectively. Rates of postoperative nausea, vomiting and pruritus were unaffected. Rates of chronic pain at six postoperative months were 2/19 and 2/18 after block and no block, respectively, p = 0.95.

A Case of Locally Advanced Breast Cancer in a 59-Year-Old Man Requiring a Modified Approach to Management.

BACKGROUND Male breast cancer is rare, accounting for approximately 1% of all malignancies in men. The lack of awareness of this rare cancer results in delayed diagnosis and its aggressive behavior can result in poor prognosis. This report is of a case of locally advanced, high-grade breast cancer in a 59-year-old man who was reluctant to undergo diagnostic procedures, and describes the approach to clinical management. CASE REPORT A 59-year-old man presented with a large left breast mass with enlarged axillary lymph nodes. The patient had ignored the mass and declined all diagnostic procedures. After modifying the diagnostic workup and involving a psychiatrist, the patient agreed to undergo a modified radical mastectomy. Histopathology showed a high-grade invasive ductal carcinoma with lymph node metastasis. The breast cancer was triple-positive for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), estrogen receptor (ER), and progesterone receptor (PR). Adjuvant treatment included herceptin, tamoxifen, and radiation therapy. CONCLUSIONS This case demonstrates the importance of raising public awareness of breast cancer in men, and to assess and overcome the factors leading to delay in accessing medical attention. In challenging cases, modifying the diagnostic workup and the treatment approach with the least deviation from the standard of care, including counseling may be required.

Breast-Conserving Surgery in Patients With Mammary Paget's Disease.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to analyze the association between Paget's disease (PD) and breast cancer (BC) subtypes and compare the effect of breast-conserving surgery (BCS) as a local treatment with mastectomy for PD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data of patients with histologic type International Classification of Diseases-0-3 8540-8543 who were treated from 1973 to 2014 were retrieved from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database of the National Cancer Institute. A chi-square test was used to identify differences in categorical data among different groups. Overall survival (OS) was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank test, Cox proportional hazards models, sequential landmark analysis, and propensity score-matched analysis. RESULTS: The study cohort included 5398 patients. Triple-negative BC accounted for the fewest patients with PD-only (1/22, 4.54%), Paget's disease-ductal carcinoma in situ (PD-DCIS) (3/48, 6.25%), and Paget's disease-invading ductal carcinoma (PD-IDC) (23/352, 6.53%). According to the results of the log-rank test and Cox analysis, the 10-year OS rates were similar for the BCS and mastectomy subgroups among patients with PD-DCIS or PD-IDC. Furthermore, there were no significant differences in survival benefits among the different surgeries after propensity score matching. Landmark analyses for OS of patients with PD-DCIS or PD-IDC surviving more than 1, 3, and 5 y showed no significant differences in survival. There were statistical differences in 10-year OS rates for patients with PD-DCIS or PD-IDC who underwent radiation therapy, or not, following BCS (both, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: For patients with PD-DCIS or PD-IDC, breast conservation therapy with lumpectomy and radiation is an effective local treatment strategy, compared with mastectomy.

Prognostic Impact of Breast-Conserving Therapy Versus Mastectomy of BRCA1/2 Mutation Carriers Compared With Noncarriers in a Consecutive Series of Young Breast Cancer Patients.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of different types of surgery on breast cancer prognosis in germline BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation carriers compared with noncarriers. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Although breast-conserving therapy (breast-conserving surgery followed by radiotherapy) has been associated with more local recurrences than mastectomy, no differences in overall survival have been found in randomized trials performed in the general breast cancer population. Whether breast-conservation can be safely offered to BRCA1/2 mutation carriers is debatable. METHODS: The study comprised a cohort of women with invasive breast cancer diagnosed <50 years and treated between 1970 and 2003 in 10 Dutch centers. Germline DNA for BRCA1/2 testing of most-prevalent mutations (covering ∼61%) was mainly derived from paraffin-blocks. Survival analyses were performed taking into account competing risks. RESULTS: In noncarriers (N = 5820), as well as in BRCA1 (N = 191) and BRCA2 (N = 70) mutation carriers, approximately half of the patients received breast-conserving therapy. Patients receiving mastectomy followed by radiotherapy had prognostically worse tumor characteristics and more often received systemic therapy. After adjustment for these potential confounders, patients who received breast-conserving therapy had a similar overall survival compared with patients who received mastectomy, both in noncarriers (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.95, confidence interval [CI] = 0.85-1.07, P = 0.41) and BRCA1 mutation carriers (HR = 0.80, CI = 0.42-1.51, P = 0.50). Numbers for BRCA2 were insufficient to draw conclusions. The rate of local recurrences after breast-conserving therapy did not differ between BRCA1 carriers (10-year risk = 7.3%) and noncarriers (10-year risk = 7.9%). CONCLUSION: Our results, together with the available literature, provide reassurance that breast-conserving therapy is a safe local treatment option to offer to BRCA1 mutation carriers with invasive breast cancer.

The effect of lateral pectoral nerve sparing technique and radiotherapy on the pectoralis major muscle applied with modified radical mastectomy.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate with electromyography (EMG) the effect of lateral pectoral nerve sparing technique (LPNST) and radiotherapy (RT) on the lateral pectoral nerve (LPN) in patients applied with modified radical mastectomy (MRM). METHODS: The study included 66 patients who underwent MRM surgery. The patients were separated into 2 groups as those applied with LPNST and those who underwent standard surgery (Control group). Within these 2 groups, patients were again separated as those who received or did not receive RT. The EMG evaluations were made by a neurology specialist blinded to the patient groups. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 53.3 ± 10.6 years. Standard surgery was applied to 33 (50%) patients and LPNST to 33 (50%) patients, RT was applied to 32 (48.5%) patients and not to 34 (51.5%) patients. In the EMG evaluation, latency was 2.1 ms (1.4-3.2) in the LPNST and 3.7 ms (1.9-12.4) in the control (p <0.001) and amplitude values were 9650 mV (3120-36900) in the LPNST and 4780 mV (510-12.4) in the control (p <0.001). The latency values in the Control receiving and not receiving RT were 4.0 ms (1.9-12.4) and 2.6 ms (1.9-6.2) respectively (p <0.05). The latency values of the patients receiving and not receiving RT in the LPNST were 2.2 ms (1.8-3.2) and 2.0 ms (1.4-2.4) respectively (p <0.05). In the Control and LPNST Group, no significant difference was determined between receiving and not receiving RT groups in respect of amplitude values (p >0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrated that electromyographically the latency and amplitude values were better protected in the LPNST group. It was also seen that RT increased the formation of nerve damage in both groups.

Efficacy of breast reconstruction with fat grafting: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Breast reconstruction with fat grafting is a new alternative to prosthetic implants and flaps for women with breast cancer. In this study, we investigate the efficacy of fat grafting for breast reconstruction in a meta-analysis. METHODS: The study followed the PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Studies were included if the patients underwent complete breast reconstruction with fat grafting as the only treatment modality. The number of fat grafting treatments needed to complete a breast reconstruction was modeled in a meta-analysis for five treatment categories: modified radical mastectomy, skin-sparing mastectomy, and breast-conserving surgery; the two mastectomy groups were subdivided into nonirradiated and irradiated. RESULTS: Twenty-one studies were included in the meta-analysis. The studies comprised 1011 breast reconstructions in 834 patients. The estimated numbers of treatments to complete a reconstruction were 2.84-4.66 in the mastectomy groups and 1.72 in the breast-conserving surgery group. The number of fat grafting sessions needed to complete a breast reconstruction was significantly higher for the irradiated patients than for the nonirradiated patients (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the number of fat grafting sessions needed to complete a breast reconstruction after a modified radical mastectomy versus a skin-sparing mastectomy. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides an evidence-based foundation for several practical issues related to breast reconstruction with fat grafting. The analysis showed that radiotherapy is the most important factor associated with the number of treatment sessions needed to complete a breast reconstruction and with the rate of complications.

Reconstrução mamária em mulheres jovens e suas peculiaridades / Breast reconstruction in young women and their peculiarities

Introdução: O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar as principais características e métodos utilizados na reconstrução mamária de mulheres jovens, considerando suas peculiaridades. Métodos: Foi realizada uma revisão retrospectiva dos prontuários das pacientes submetidas à mastectomia seguida de reconstrução mamária no período de janeiro de 2008 a dezembro de 2015, sendo selecionados aqueles cuja reconstrução foi realizada em mulheres de até 40 anos de idade. Resultados: 43 pacientes foram selecionadas. A média de idade foi de 33,86 anos. Grande parte possuía alguma comorbidade, sendo as mais comuns o sobrepeso e o transtorno ansioso/depressivo. Quatorze pacientes tinham história familiar da doença. A maioria obteve o diagnóstico de carcinoma ductal invasor. Tratamentos oncológicos complementares foram realizados em grande parte dos casos. Todas as pacientes foram submetidas à mastectomia total na mama portadora da neoplasia, sendo que em 16 houve a opção pela mastectomia redutora de risco contralateral. Do total de 43 reconstruções, 36 foram imediatas e 7 tardias; sendo 17 reconstruídos com implantes mamários, 13 com expansores teciduais, 4 com TRAM e 9 com GD. Houve 15 complicações, sendo as mais graves um caso de infecção com perda da reconstrução e um caso de necrose de aréola. Conclusões: Mulheres jovens submetidas à reconstrução mamária representam um subgrupo populacional com características próprias. Os padrões tumorais, pessoais e sociais diferem e, com base nesta imensa lista de variáveis, as possibilidades de tratamento são diversas. Em nossa casuística, o emprego de implantes mamários e expansores teciduais foi realizado com maior frequência neste subgrupo de pacientes.

Introduction: To evaluate the main features and methods used in breast reconstruction in young women considering their unique characteristics. Methods: A retrospective records review of patients who underwent mastectomy followed by breast reconstruction between January 2008 and December 2015 was conducted, selecting those reconstructions that were performed in women younger than 40 years. Results: Forty-three patients were selected. The average age was 33.86 years. Many had some comorbidities, the most common being overweight and anxiety/ depressive disorder. Fourteen patients had a family history of the disease. Most were diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma. Additional cancer treatments were administered in most cases. All patients underwent a full mastectomy in the breast with cancer, and in 16, there was the option of contralateral risk-reducing mastectomy. Of the 43 reconstructions, 36 were immediate and 7 were delayed, and 17 involved use of implants, 13 involved use of tissue expanders, 4 involved the TRAM, and 9 involved the GD. We observed 15 complications; the most severe were infection with reconstruction loss in one patient and areola necrosis in another. Conclusions: Young women undergoing breast reconstruction represent a population subgroup with its own characteristics. The tumors and personal and social patterns differ, and based on this long list of variables, treatment options are diverse. In our series, breast implants and tissue expanders were often most used.

Breast conserving therapy and mastectomy revisited: Breast cancer-specific survival and the influence of prognostic factors in 129,692 patients.

This large population-based study compared breast-conserving surgery with radiation therapy (BCT) with mastectomy on (long-term) breast cancer-specific (BCSS) and overall survival (OS), and investigated the influence of several prognostic factors. Patients with primary T1-2N0-2M0 breast cancer, diagnosed between 1999 and 2012, were selected from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. We investigated the 1999-2005 (long-term outcome) and the 2006-2012 cohort (contemporary adjuvant systemic therapy). Cause of death was derived from the Statistics Netherlands (CBS). Multivariable analyses, per time cohort, were performed in T1-2N0-2, and separately in T1-2N0-1 and T1-2N2 stages. The T1-2N0-1 stages were further stratified for age, hormonal receptor and HER2 status, adjuvant systemic therapy and comorbidity. In total, 129,692 patients were included. In the 1999-2005 cohort, better BCSS and OS for BCT than mastectomy was seen in all subgroups, except in patients < 40 years with T1-2N0-1 stage. In the 2006-2012 cohort, superior BCSS and OS were found for T1-2N0-1, but not for T1-2N2. Subgroup analyses for T1-2N0-1 showed superior BCSS and OS for BCT in patients >50 years, not treated with chemotherapy and with comorbidity. Both treatments led to similar BCSS in patients <50 years, without comorbidity and those treated with chemotherapy. Although confounding by severity and residual confounding cannot be excluded, this study showed better long-term BCSS for BCT than mastectomy. Even with more contemporary diagnostics and therapies we identified several subgroups that may benefit from BCT. Our results support the hypothesis that BCT might be preferred in most breast cancer patients when both treatments are suitable.

Tips and tricks for DIEP flap breast reconstruction in patients with previous abdominal scar.

The aim of this study was to analyze outcomes of patients who had prior abdominal operations and underwent DIEP flap breast reconstruction and to describe technical strategies to insure well-vascularized flap-harvest minimizing abdominal donor-site complications. All patients who underwent DIEP flap breast reconstruction between 2004 and 2014 were reviewed and divided into a control group (CG) and a scar group (SG). Patient demographics, operative details, flap and donor-site complications were analyzed and compared. For all of the scars, DIEP flap design was not modified, but a standardized approach was developed according to the type and location of the scar, available vascular pedicle, perforator locations, and the required flap tissue for breast reconstruction. Two hundred and eighty patients underwent 292 flaps in CG and 107 underwent 111 flaps in SG. Pfannenstiel, McBurney, laparoscopic, midline and subcostal were the most common previous incisions. There were no significant differences between groups regarding demographics, flap and mastectomy weight, active smoking, or radiation status (P > 0.05). No significant differences were observed in DIEP flap loss (P = 0.909), partial flap loss (P=0.799), or fat necrosis (P=0.871) and in the rate of abdominal donor-site complications between groups (P > 0.05). SG had a significantly higher mean operative time than CG (P=0.034). Medial raw was a negative risk-factor for flap complications, while BMI (>25.1 kg/m2 ) and smoking-history were significant predictors for donor-site complications. With careful preoperative planning and appropriate technical strategies, successfully DIEP flap breast reconstruction can be performed without increased flap and donor-site complications in patients with preexisting abdominal scars. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery 37:282-292, 2017.

The risk factors and prevalence of upper extremity impairments and an analysis of effects of lymphoedema and other impairments on the quality of life of breast cancer patients.

This study aimed to determine the prevalence and identify the risk factors associated with upper extremity impairments (UEIs) in breast cancer patients and to investigate the degree to which these impairments and other characteristics influence quality of life (QoL). A total of 201 women over the age of 18 who underwent breast cancer treatment at least 6 months were included in this cross-sectional study. All of the patients were evaluated for the presence of lymphoedema and any UEIs. UEIs divided into five subgroups: pain, restriction of shoulder range of motion (ROM), numbness and heaviness, loss of strength, and sensory deficit. QoL of the patients was evaluated by SF-36. The prevalence of the upper extremity impairments was as follows: pain 31.8%, restriction of shoulder ROM 23.9%, numbness and heaviness 35.3%, loss of strength 8.5%, and sensory deficit 18.4%. Furthermore, lymphoedema was seen in 41.3% of patients. The multivariate model showed that lymphoedema is the only statistically significant risk factor that affects the development of UEIs (P = 0.001). However, it also revealed that lymphoedema (P = 0.001) and increased age negatively affect QoL, whereas prolongation of the follow-up period has a favourable impact (P = 0.016). Therefore, lymphoedema diminishes QoL via an increased number of UEIs.

Successful management of perioperative hemostasis in a patient with Glanzmann thrombasthenia who underwent a right total mastectomy.

Perioperative hemostatic management is a challenge in patients with Glanzmann thrombasthenia (GT). The standard means of preventing surgical bleeding in GT patients is platelet transfusion. However, GT patients often possess alloantibodies against GPIIb/IIIa and/or HLA, which cause resistance to platelet transfusion. HLA-matched platelet transfusion, plasmapheresis, or recombinant human-activated factor VII (rFVIIa) are alternative interventions in such cases. Monitoring of hemostasis is also critical in the management of GT patients who undergo surgery. Here, we report the case of a 56-year-old female GT patient with anti-HLA antibodies, who underwent a right total mastectomy without significant blood loss under HLA-matched platelet transfusion. Bleeding at the surgical site, which occurred on the 18th postoperative day, was successfully treated by immediate bolus administration of rFVIIa and subsequent HLA-matched platelet transfusion. The perioperative hemostatic state was monitored in combination with bleeding time, platelet aggregation assay, and flow cytometric analysis of GPIIb/IIIa expression. Although a flow cytometric analysis is not a functional assay, it enabled the estimation of transfused platelet counts, and helped to inform the decision regarding whether to perform the surgery. Thus, perioperative hemostasis was successfully managed in our GT patient by HLA-matched platelet transfusion, rFVIIa administration, and the close monitoring of hemostasis.

Association between Breast Cancer Recurrence and Cellular Dissociation Assessed Using Fine-Needle Aspiration.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the associations between breast cancer recurrence and cytological findings of fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). STUDY DESIGN: The study included 117 women who had undergone a modified radical mastectomy for invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast. FNAC samples of these patients were reexamined, and cytological findings, such as cellular dissociation, nuclear pleomorphism, nuclear atypia, chromatin pattern, and nuclear size, were scored. Uni- and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the prognostic significance of the cytological findings. Corresponding cancer tissues were immunostained for estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2), p53, and E-cadherin to determine their associations with cytological findings. Coexpression of Arp2 and WAVE2 was also examined immunohistochemically as a cell locomotion signal. RESULTS: Cellular dissociation (p = 0.0259) and nuclear size (p = 0.0417) were significantly associated with cancer recurrence. Multivariate analysis showed that cellular dissociation and histological grade were significant independent predictors of cancer recurrence. Cellular dissociation was found to be associated with coexpression of Arp2 and WAVE2 (p = 0.0356) and HER2 (p = 0.0469). CONCLUSION: The cytological finding of cell dissociation was associated with the activation of Arp2 and WAVE2 signals and was an independent predictor of recurrence.

Evolution of radical mastectomy for breast cancer.

Surgical treatment of breast cancer has been marked by a constant evolution since the Halsted radical mastectomy described in the late 19th century has become the current standard Madden radical mastectomy, a breast surgery that involves the ablation of tissue with the axillary lymphatic preserving both pectoral muscles. The purpose of this paper was to present the stages that have marked the evolution of this intervention and to provide an overview of the way breast cancer has been understood and treated in the last century.

'No ordinary meeting': Robert McWhirter and the decline of radical mastectomy.

On 7 January 1948, a meeting was held at the Royal Society of Medicine in London. Its purpose was to settle a controversy. Robert McWhirter, an Edinburgh-based radiotherapist, had been invited to defend the scandalous position advocated by Geoffrey Keynes ten years previously: that radical mastectomy offered no survival advantage when compared to simple mastectomy plus local radiotherapy. The negative publicity surrounding the meeting proved overwhelming for Keynes and he abandoned his research. Indeed, the events of the meeting may have been quietly buried were it not for McWhirter who, over the following decade, pursued Keynes' research. He refined his technique, sparing patients the disfiguring and painful radical mastectomy without compromising overall survival. Later, he garnered support from other researchers, which led to a series of papers confirming his original findings. Towards the end of his career, he also made contributions to service organisation and hormone therapy, eventually holding the Presidency of the Faculty of Radiologists. By keeping the controversy alive, McWhirter was instrumental in overturning 60 years of surgical dogma. He remains a pivotal figure in the history of breast cancer.

EVOLUTION OF SYNCHRONOUS BILATERAL BREAST CARCINOMA IN A YOUNG PATIENT.

Bilateral breast cancer incidence is appreciated to be between 0.3 to 12% and is determined either by a hereditary load associated with chromosomal instability under the effect of environmental factors, or by the evolution in a particular hormonal context which gives biological aggressiveness. We present the case of a patient, aged 38 years, clinically, imagistic and bioptic diagnosed with left axillary lymph node metastases of breast carcinoma NST invasive G3, IHC-RE = 60%, RP = 30%, HER2neu = 2 +, Ki67 = 20%, in August 2013. Patient followed neoadjuvant chemotherapy treatment during September-October 2013. In December 2013 she was clinically and imaging diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer, for which surgical intervention was done which consisted of bilateral radical Madden mastectomy with bilateral axillary lymphadenectomy. BAP-invasive carcinoma NST: left breast-pT2mN3a G2, right breast--pT3mN3a G2, IHC-RE = 90%, RP =70% HER2neu = 2 +, Ki67 = 50%. During the period of January-March 2014, the patient followed adjuvant chemotherapy and Herceptin. Bilateral breast ultrasound assessment in April 2014 revealed: left axilla--liquid blade 29 / 6mm; right axilla--oval ganglion 9/5 mm. Abdominal and pelvic ultrasound: empty uterine cavity, bosselated contour; at left ovary level multiple cystic formations. During the period of May-June 2014, adjuvant radiation therapy and ovarian irradiationwas administered to the patient. Subsequently hormone therapy was initiated. Following CHT / ovarian irradiation patient continues to experience intermittent uterine bleeding, which is why a total hysterectomy with bilateral ovariectomy was done, and BAP: cervical, endometrialand left ovary with tumor multifocal infiltration with histopathological aspect of invasive breast carcinoma NST. Periodic imaging evaluations do not reveal local or distant recurrence. The particularity of this case is synchronous bilateral breast cancer diagnosis in a young patient complicated in its evolution by ovarian metastases. This form of metastasis is rare in young women and occurs in advanced stages of the disease.