Reliability of artificial intelligence chatbot responses to frequently asked questions in breast surgical oncology.

INTRODUCTION: Artificial intelligence (AI)-driven chatbots, capable of simulating human-like conversations, are becoming more prevalent in healthcare. While this technology offers potential benefits in patient engagement and information accessibility, it raises concerns about potential misuse, misinformation, inaccuracies, and ethical challenges. METHODS: This study evaluated a publicly available AI chatbot, ChatGPT, in its responses to nine questions related to breast cancer surgery selected from the American Society of Breast Surgeons' frequently asked questions (FAQ) patient education website. Four breast surgical oncologists assessed the responses for accuracy and reliability using a five-point Likert scale and the Patient Education Materials Assessment (PEMAT) Tool. RESULTS: The average reliability score for ChatGPT in answering breast cancer surgery questions was 3.98 out of 5.00. Surgeons unanimously found the responses understandable and actionable per the PEMAT criteria. The consensus found ChatGPT's overall performance was appropriate, with minor or no inaccuracies. CONCLUSION: ChatGPT demonstrates good reliability in responding to breast cancer surgery queries, with minor, nonharmful inaccuracies. Its answers are accurate, clear, and easy to comprehend. Notably, ChatGPT acknowledged its informational role and did not attempt to replace medical advice or discourage users from seeking input from a healthcare professional.

Omental vascularized lymph node transplant for the treatment of breast lymphedema: A case report.

Breast lymphedema is a type of breast cancer related lymphedema that leads to significant discomfort and negative impact on body image. Conservative therapy and lymphovenous bypass have been previously described as possible treatment methods for breast lymphedema, however, a unified approach to treatment is lacking. The current report describes a case of breast lymphedema successfully treated with vascularized lymph node transfer (VLNT) after failed attempt at management with conservative therapy. The patient is a 48-year-old female with right-sided breast cancer who underwent breast conservation therapy in 2015 and subsequently developed pain and swelling of the right breast. The diagnosis of breast lymphedema was supported by clinical evaluation as well as MRI, lymphoscintigraphy, and lymphography. In consultation with a breast surgeon, breast lymphedema was determined not to be an indication for mastectomy. The patient was offered and underwent an omental VLNT to the right breast. A 20 cm segment of omentum with associated gastroepiploic vessels and lymph nodes was harvested, transferred to the right axilla and gastroepiploic vessels were anastomosed to the recipient thoracodorsal vessels. The patient tolerated the procedure well and there were no complications. Additional donor sites were considered, such as the groin and submental regions, but an omental flap was favored in this case because of the lower risk of donor site lymphedema. In the years following, the patient reported significant improvement in symptoms as well as objective reduction of edema on MRI. We propose the consideration of VLNT for breast lymphedema refractory to other methods of management.

Diversity of culturable gut bacteria of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae) collected from different geographical regions of India.

Diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella is one of the important pests of cole crops, the larval stages cause damage to leaves from seedling stage to the harvest thus reducing the quality and quantity of the yield. The insect gut posses a large variety of microbial communities among which, the association of bacteria is the most spread and common. Due to variations in various agro-climatic factors, the insect often assumes the status of major pest. These geographical variations in insects influence various biological parameters including insecticide resistance due to diversity of microbes/bacteria. The diverse role of gut bacteria in insect fitness traits has now gained perspectives for biotechnological exploration. The present study was aimed to determine the diversity of larval gut bacteria of diamondback moth collected from five different geographical regions of India. The gut bacteria of this pest were found to be influenced by different geographical regions. A total of 14 larval gut bacterial isolates were obtained. Majority of these bacteria belong to Enterobacteriaceae followed by Yersiniaceae, Morganellaceae and Enterococcaceae. Phylogeny analysis of all the bacterial isolates collected from five different geographical regions of India revealed that all the isolated strains are resolved in well-defined clades with their closest type species.

Delayed adjuvant hormonal therapy and its impact on mortality in women with breast cancer.

Adjuvant hormonal therapy (HT) is important for the management of hormone-sensitive breast cancer. However, the timeliness for adjuvant HT and the consequences of delayed initiation of treatment have not been analyzed. The purpose of this study was to characterize delays to HT and assess the impact on clinical outcomes. The study cohort consisted of female patients with invasive ductal and/or lobular, hormone receptor-positive breast cancer diagnosed between 2010 and 2015. Initiation of HT >6 months (180 days) after surgery was defined as delayed. Patients receiving chemotherapy were excluded from the study cohort. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was performed to establish associations between delayed HT and demographic, facility, and clinical factors. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier estimation and Cox proportional hazards regression to evaluate overall survival. Of 179 590 women assessed in the National Cancer Database, 3.2% had a delay in the initiation of adjuvant HT. Positive demographic-related risk factors were younger age, ethnic minority groups, and multiple comorbidities. Clinical factors significantly associated with delayed initiation of adjuvant HT were high-grade tumor, larger tumor size, greater lymph node involvement, having an unplanned readmission within 30 days of surgery, and positive final surgical margins. Adjusted survival analysis showed a survival disadvantage of delayed initiation of HT. Risk factors for delayed initiation of HT specific to demographic and clinical characteristics were identified. Delayed initiation of HT was associated with a survival detriment.

Local recurrence after breast-conserving therapy for phyllodes tumors: A 15-year retrospective review.

There are few data on the long-term outcomes of patients with phyllodes tumors following breast-conserving surgery with or without radiation therapy (RT). We reviewed 69 patients diagnosed from 2000 to 2015 with surgical specimens available for central pathology assessment for outcome in relation to histopathologic subtype, margin width, and utilization of RT. Median follow-up was 63 months (interquartile range, 35-131 months). Forty-eight patients had benign, 13 borderline, and eight malignant phyllodes tumors, with local recurrence rates of 4%, 0%, and 38%, respectively (P ≤ .04 comparing malignant lesions to both benign and borderline lesions). None of the eight patients who received RT suffered a local recurrence. Two of the 26 (8%) patients with benign phyllodes tumors who did not receive RT with margins that were positive or <1 mm had local recurrence, compared to none of 18 patients with margins 1 mm or wider who did not receive RT. The one patient with a malignant phyllodes tumor who did not receive RT with margins that were positive or <1 mm did not locally recur, while both patients with margins 10 mm or wider who did not receive RT had local recurrence. One patient with a malignant phyllodes tumor developed distant recurrence following local recurrence. Phyllodes histologic type and margin width were both associated with the risk of local recurrence following breast-conserving surgery without RT, though the number of events and patients was too small to show these trends were statistically significant.

Treatment Strategies in Octogenarians with Early-Stage, High-Risk Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Octogenarians with early-stage breast cancer often have low-risk tumor biology. However, optimal treatment strategies for those with high-risk biology remain unclear. METHODS: We reviewed the records of women ages 80-89 years with biopsy-proven, Stage I-II invasive breast cancer who were referred for surgical evaluation from January 2001 through December 2010. High-risk was defined as human epidermal growth factor receptor-positive (HER2+), triple-negative (TN), or histologic grade 3 disease. RESULTS: Among 178 patients, 40 (22%) were high-risk: 12 were grade 1-2 (10 HER2 + , 2 TN); 28 were grade 3 (7 HER2+, 6 TN, 15 estrogen receptor-positive (ER+)/HER2-). The high-risk group had larger tumors and more often had ductal histology and lymphovascular invasion than the low-risk group and was more likely to undergo mastectomy (18 vs. 5%, p = 0.02), radiotherapy (55 vs. 36%, p = 0.03), and chemotherapy (10 vs. 0%, p = 0.002). Endocrine therapy use was similar among ER+ patients in both groups. The four patients in the high-risk group given chemotherapy were HER2+ and received trastuzumab-based regimens, without any reported toxicities. At median follow-up of 67 months, 10% of the high-risk group had a recurrence (3 distant-only, 1 simultaneous locoregional and distant in a patient treated with mastectomy without radiotherapy). CONCLUSIONS: Tailored locoregional and systemic therapy resulted in low incidence of failure in these octogenarians with high-risk cancers with low morbidity. Modern adjuvant therapies should be considered for elderly women with high-risk cancers in the absence of significant comorbidities.

Surgical upgrade rate of breast atypia to malignancy: An academic center's experience and validation of a predictive model.

Atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH), atypical lobular hyperplasia (ALH), and lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) are commonly seen on breast core needle biopsy (CNB). Many institutions recommend excision of these lesions to exclude malignancy. A retrospective chart review was performed on patients who had ADH, ALH, or LCIS on breast CNB from 1/1/08 to 12/31/10 who subsequently had surgical excision of the biopsy site. Study objectives included determining upgrade to malignancy at surgical excision, identification of predictors of upgrade, and validation of a recently published predictive model. Clinical and demographic factors, pathology, characteristics of the biopsy procedure and visible residual lesion were recorded. T test and chi-squared test were used to identify predictors. Classification tree was used to predict upgrade. 151 patients had mean age of 53 years. The mean maximum lesion size on imaging was 11 mm. The primary atypia was ADH in 63.6%, ALH in 27.8%, and LCIS in 8.6%. 16.6% of patients had upgrade to malignancy, with 72% DCIS and 28% invasive carcinoma. Risk factors for upgrade included maximum lesion size (P = .002) and radiographic presence of residual lesion (P = .001). A predictive model based on these factors had sensitivity 78%, specificity 80% and AUC = 0.88. Validating a published nomogram with our data produced accuracy figures (AUC = 0.65) within published CI of 0.63-0.82. In CNB specimens containing ADH, ALH, or LCIS, initial lesion size and presence of residual lesion are predictors of upgrade to malignancy. A validated model may be helpful in developing patient management strategies.

Breast-Conserving Surgery Alone for Ductal Carcinoma In Situ: Factors Associated with Increased Risk of Local Recurrence.

PURPOSE: This retrospective study was aimed at identifying clinicopathologic characteristics associated with an increased risk for ipsilateral local recurrence (LR) in patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) treated with wide local excision (WLE) alone without radiotherapy (RT). METHODS: All patients with DCIS treated with WLE alone at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA, between the years 2000 and 2010 were identified. We collected data on demographics, parity, personal or family history of breast cancer, exogenous hormone use, tobacco use, comorbidities, genetic mutation carrier status, imaging interval, and tumor-specific characteristics. RESULTS: Overall, 222 patients were included in the study. Median follow-up time was 8 years. LR occurred in 9% of patients, with a recurrence rate of 11.3 per 1000 person-years. The risk of recurrence was lower for patients with nuclear grade (NG) I tumors than for patients with NG II or NG III tumors (3, 8.5, and 19%, respectively; p = 0.01). The median margin width was 1 mm in patients experiencing LR versus 1.8 mm in patients without LR (p = 0.3). Patients who had used exogenous hormones, or patients with a history of tobacco use, had higher rates of LR than those who did not, although the difference did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that higher NG, narrower margin width, use of exogenous hormones, and smoking history may be associated with an increased risk of LR. The evaluation of these factors may be helpful when considering whether or not to use adjuvant RT for patients with DCIS.

Clinical Utility of the 12-Gene DCIS Score Assay: Impact on Radiotherapy Recommendations for Patients with Ductal Carcinoma In Situ.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the impact of the results of the 12-gene DCIS Score assay on (i) radiotherapy recommendations for patients with pure ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) following breast-conserving surgery (BCS), and (ii) patient decisional conflict and state anxiety. METHODS: Thirteen sites across the US enrolled patients (March 2014-August 2015) with pure DCIS undergoing BCS. Prospectively collected data included clinicopathologic factors, physician estimates of local recurrence risk, DCIS Score results, and pre-/post-assay radiotherapy recommendations for each patient made by a surgeon and a radiation oncologist. Patients completed pre-/post-assay decisional conflict scale and state-trait anxiety inventory instruments. RESULTS: The analysis cohort included 127 patients: median age 60 years, 80 % postmenopausal, median size 8 mm (39 % ≤5 mm), 70 % grade 1/2, 88 % estrogen receptor-positive, 75 % progesterone receptor-positive, 54 % with comedo necrosis, and 18 % multifocal. Sixty-six percent of patients had low DCIS Score results, 20 % had intermediate DCIS Score results, and 14 % had high DCIS Score results; the median result was 21 (range 0-84). Pre-assay, surgeons and radiation oncologists recommended radiotherapy for 70.9 and 72.4 % of patients, respectively. Post-assay, 26.4 % of overall recommendations changed, including 30.7 and 22.0 % of recommendations by surgeons and radiation oncologists, respectively. Among patients with confirmed completed questionnaires (n = 32), decision conflict (p = 0.004) and state anxiety (p = 0.042) decreased significantly from pre- to post-assay. CONCLUSIONS: Individualized risk estimates from the DCIS Score assay provide valuable information to physicians and patients. Post-assay, in response to DCIS Score results, surgeons changed treatment recommendations more often than radiation oncologists. Further investigation is needed to better understand how such treatment changes may affect clinical outcomes.

Comparison of risk factors and complications in patients by stratified mastectomy weight: An institutional review of 1041 consecutive cases.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the specific complication rates, reconstructive differences, and delineate the pertinent independent risk factors in patients with different mastectomy weights. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of consecutive patients undergoing mastectomy between 2010 and 2015 was performed. Patient demographics, comorbidities, and intraoperative and postoperative outcomes were collected. Patients were divided into three groups: those with mastectomy weight <500, 500-1000, and >1000 g. RESULTS: During the study period, a total of 704 consecutive patients and 1041 total mastectomy surgeries had complete mastectomy specimen weight data. Of these, 437 breasts were in the <500 g specimen group, 425 were included in the 500-1000 g group and 179 in the >1000g group. The rate of overall complications between the three mastectomy weight groups (<500, 500-1000, and >1000 g) was statistically significant (14.0%, 17.6%, and 25.7%; P = 0.002, respectively) and were higher with increased mastectomy weights. Notably, in patients with breast mastectomy weight >1000 g, autologous reconstruction had significantly reduced rates of overall complications (AOR = 0.512, P = 0.048). CONCLUSION: Complication rates were lower in women with larger breast weights undergoing autologous reconstruction, warranting potential use of autologous free flap breast reconstruction in women with large mastectomy specimen weights when possible.

Oncoplastic breast surgery: Achieving oncological and aesthetic outcomes.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Oncoplastic reconstruction allows more patients to become candidates for breast-conserving surgery (BCS). Oncologic resection of a breast lesion is combined with plastic surgical techniques to improve aesthetic results. Choosing the best oncoplastic method is essential to optimize outcomes, improve cosmesis, and minimize postoperative complications. The aim of this study is to present a treatment algorithm incorporating oncoplastic techniques based on diagnosis, tumor size, tumor location, and breast size and shape. METHODS: A retrospective pilot study of a prospectively collected database was conducted in patients undergoing immediate oncoplastic surgery from 2010 to 2015 at our institution. Oncoplastic surgical techniques were defined as complex layered closure, local tissue rearrangement, pedicled flap, mastopexy, bilateral reduction, or implant placement. Clinical, demographic, and histopathologic data were extracted from electronic patient records. Patient satisfaction was measured by the BREAST-Q questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 42 women and 46 breasts were included. An algorithm was formulated to assist in selecting an optimal oncoplastic reconstruction plan after BCS. Additionally, patient satisfaction with good aesthetic results was reported. CONCLUSION: In this study, the authors present a reconstructive algorithm describing various oncoplastic approaches aimed to provide a guideline in clinical practice when employing oncoplastic surgery.

Early-Stage Breast Cancer in the Octogenarian: Tumor Characteristics, Treatment Choices, and Clinical Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Nodal staging with sentinel node biopsy (SLNB), post-lumpectomy radiotherapy (RT), and endocrine therapy (ET) for estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) tumors is valuable in the treatment of early-stage (stages 1 or 2) breast cancer but used less often for elderly women. METHODS: This retrospective study investigated women referred for surgical evaluation of biopsy-proven primary early-stage invasive breast cancer from January 2001 to December 2010. Clinicopathologic features, treatment course, and outcomes for women ages 80-89 years and 50-59 years were compared. RESULTS: The study identified 178 eligible women ages 80-89 years and 169 women ages 50-59 years. The elderly women more often had grade 1 or 2 disease (p = 0.003) and ER+ tumors (p = 0.007) and less frequently had undergone adjuvant therapies (all p ≤ 0.001). Lumpectomy was performed more commonly for the elderly (92 vs. 83 %, p = 0.02), and axillary surgery was less commonly performed (46 vs. 96 %; p < 0.001). Fewer elderly women had undergone post-lumpectomy RT (42 vs. 89 %; p < 0.001) and ET for ER+ tumors (72 vs. 95 %; p < 0.001). During the median follow-up period of 56 months for the 80- to 89-year old group and 98 months for the 50- to 59-year-old group, death from breast cancer was similar (4 vs. 5 %; p = 0.5). The two groups respectively experienced 7 versus 6 locoregional recurrences and 11 versus 13 distant recurrences. CONCLUSIONS: The octogenarians had disease survivorship similar to that of the younger women despite less frequent use of adjuvant therapies, likely reflecting lower-risk disease features. Whether increased use of axillary surgery, post-lumpectomy RT, and/or ET for ER+ tumors would further improve outcomes is an important area for further study, but treatment should not be deferred solely on the basis of age.

High body mass index and smoking predict morbidity in breast cancer surgery: a multivariate analysis of 26,988 patients from the national surgical quality improvement program database.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the incidence of complications of breast cancer surgery in a multi-institutional, prospective, validated database and to identify preoperative risk factors that predispose to these complications. BACKGROUND: There is an increased emphasis on clinical outcomes to improve the quality of surgical care. Although mastectomy and breast conserving surgery have low risk for complications, few US studies have examined the incidence of these complications in large, multicenter patient populations. The broad scale of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) data set facilitates multivariate analysis of patient characteristics that predispose to development of postoperative complications in breast cancer surgery. METHODS: A prospective, multi-institutional study of patients undergoing mastectomy and breast conserving surgery was performed from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program from 2005 to 2007. Study subjects were selected as a random sample of patients at more than 200 participating community and academic medical centers. Thirty-day morbidity was prospectively collected and the incidence of postoperative complications was determined, with particular emphasis on superficial and deep surgical site infections. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify independent risk factors for postoperative wound infections in each. RESULTS: A total of 26,988 patients were identified who underwent mastectomy (N = 10,471) and breast conserving surgery (N = 16,517). As expected, the overall 30-day morbidity rate for all procedures was low (5.6%), with significantly higher morbidity for mastectomies (4.0%) than breast conserving surgery (1.6%, P < 0.001). The most common complications in all procedures were superficial surgical site infections and deep surgical site infections. Independent risk factors for development of any wound infection in patients undergoing mastectomy were a high body mass index, smoking, and diabetes (ORs = 1.8, 1.6, 1.8). In patients who had a lumpectomy, a high body mass index, smoking, and a history of surgery within 90 days prior to this procedure (ORs = 1.7, 1.9, 2.0) were independent risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Although complication rates in breast cancer surgery are low, wound infections remain the most common complication. A high body mass index and current tobacco use were the only independent risk factors for development of a postoperative wound infection across all procedures. This study highlights the benefit of a multi-institutional database in assessing risk factors for adverse outcomes in breast cancer surgery.

Evaluating the Impact of Immediate Lymphatic Reconstruction for the Surgical Prevention of Lymphedema.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer-related lymphedema affects one in five patients. Its risk is increased by axillary lymph node dissection and regional lymph node radiotherapy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of immediate lymphatic reconstruction or the lymphatic microsurgical preventative healing approach on postoperative lymphedema incidence. METHODS: The authors performed a retrospective review of all patients referred for immediate lymphatic reconstruction at the authors' institution from September of 2016 through February of 2019. Patients with preoperative measurements and a minimum of 6 months' follow-up data were identified. Medical records were reviewed for demographics, cancer treatment data, intraoperative management, and lymphedema incidence. RESULTS: A total of 97 women with unilateral node-positive breast cancer underwent axillary nodal surgery and attempt at immediate lymphatic reconstruction over the study period. Thirty-two patients underwent successful immediate lymphatic reconstruction with a mean patient age of 54 years and body mass index of 28 ± 6 kg/m2. The median number of lymph nodes removed was 14 and the median follow-up time was 11.4 months (range, 6.2 to 26.9 months). Eighty-eight percent of patients underwent adjuvant radiotherapy of which 93 percent received regional lymph node radiotherapy. Mean L-Dex change was 2.9 units and mean change in volumetry by circumferential measurements and perometry was -1.7 percent and 1.3 percent, respectively. At the end of the study period, we found an overall 3.1 percent rate of lymphedema. CONCLUSION: Using multiple measurement modalities and strict follow-up guidelines, the authors' findings support that immediate lymphatic reconstruction at the time of axillary surgery is a promising, safe approach for lymphedema prevention in a high-risk patient population. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.

Present-day locoregional control in patients with t1 or t2 breast cancer with 0 and 1 to 3 positive lymph nodes after mastectomy without radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: We sought to determine present-day locoregional recurrence (LRR) rates to better understand the role of postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) in women with 0 to 3 positive lymph nodes. METHODS: Clinical and pathologic factors were identified for 1019 patients with pT1 or pT2 tumors and 0 (n = 753), 1 (n = 176), 2 (n = 69), or 3 (n = 21) positive lymph nodes treated with mastectomy without PMRT during 1997 to 2002. Total LRR rates were calculated by Kaplan-Meier analysis and compared between subgroups by the log rank test. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 7.47 years, the overall 10-year LRR rate was 2.7%. The only independent predictor of LRR was younger age (P = 0.004). Patients ≤40 years old had a 10-year LRR rate of 11.3 vs. 1.5% for older patients (P < 0.0001). The 10-year rate of LRR in patients with 1 to 3 positive nodes was 4.3% (94.4% had systemic therapy), which was not significantly different from the 10-year risk of contralateral breast cancer development (6.5%; P > 0.5). Compared with the 10-year LRR rate among patients with node-negative disease (2.1%), patients with 1 positive node had a similar 10-year LRR risk (3.3%; P > 0.5), and patients with 2 positive nodes had a 10-year LRR risk of 7.9% (P = 0.0003). Patients with T2 tumors with 1 to 3 positive nodes had a 10-year LRR rate of 9.7%. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with T1 and T2 breast cancer with 0 to 3 positive nodes, LRR rates after mastectomy are low, with the exception of patients ≤40 years old. The indications for PMRT in patients treated in the current era should be reexamined.

The Influence of Surgical Specialty on Oncoplastic Breast Reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: The integration of oncological surgery with reconstructive techniques has gained popularity in the treatment of breast cancer. oncoplastic reconstruction after partial mastectomy can be performed by the breast surgeon or in cooperation with a consulted plastic surgeon. This study aims to objectively assess the differences in outcomes for partial mastectomy and subsequent oncoplastic reconstruction performed by either general surgery alone or in combination with a plastic and reconstructive surgery team. METHODS: Unilateral oncoplastic breast reconstruction cases were extracted from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program databases from 2005 to 2017. Outcomes of cases performed by the general surgery team alone were compared with those in which the partial mastectomy was performed by the general surgeon with subsequent reconstruction performed by plastic surgeons. To account for cohort baseline differences, propensity score-matched analysis was performed. RESULTS: In total, 4,350 patients were included in this study; 3,759 procedures were performed by general surgery alone versus 591 combined with plastic surgery. The analysis of propensity score-matched cohorts, comprising 490 patients each, showed no statistical difference in the risk for postoperative complications when surgery was performed by either of the 2 specialty services. A longer operative time and length of stay were found in the group reconstructed by plastic surgeons. CONCLUSIONS: This study found no significant differences in adverse postoperative outcomes for oncoplastic reconstructions after partial mastectomy between the 2 groups. The data may indicate collaboration between both surgical specialties in oncoplastic breast care was not associated with increased morbidity in these patients.

Comparative analysis of minimally invasive microductectomy versus major duct excision in patients with pathologic nipple discharge.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive techniques are being used increasingly in patients with benign and malignant breast diseases. The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic yield of 2 groups of patients who underwent either minimally invasive microductectomy or major duct excision for pathologic nipple discharge. METHODS: Two hundred thirty-five patients who underwent nipple exploration and duct excision and were part of an institutional review board-approved database were included in this retrospective analysis. Preoperative imaging, ductal washing cytology, surgical specimen size, and final histopathology were compared among 95 patients who underwent microductectomy by using intraoperative ductoscopy and 140 patients undergoing standard major duct excision. RESULTS: Mean age of patients undergoing microductectomy was 53 versus 55 years in patients undergoing major duct excision. Preoperative mammogram was negative or benign in 92% and suspicious in 8% of patients in both the microductectomy group and the major duct excision group. A ductal abnormality was identified by preoperative ductography in 43 of 56 (77%) patients in the microductectomy group versus 74 of 92 (80%) patients in the major duct excision group. Ductal cytology was benign in 81% and 80% of patients tested, respectively. Mean specimen size was significantly smaller in patients who underwent microductectomy (9.2 cm3) as compared with major duct excision (12.6 cm3). Although the percentage of patients with atypical ductal hyperplasia or lobular carcinoma in situ was similar among the 2 groups (9% vs 10%), only 3 of 95 (3%) patients within the microductectomy group were found to have carcinoma within the resection specimen as compared with 12 of 140 (9%) within the major duct excision group (P = .03). Mean specimen size of the patients diagnosed with carcinoma was 8.6 cm(3) in the microductectomy group as compared with 15.5 cm3 in the major duct excision group (P = .014). CONCLUSIONS: These data confirm that patients who present with single duct pathologic nipple discharge usually have benign pathology as the etiology. However, in a small percentage of patients an occult carcinoma might be present. Major duct excision appears to detect a higher percentage of occult carcinoma when compared with minimally invasive microductectomy, which might be related to the larger sample size of the resection specimen.