Outcomes of Breast-Conserving Therapy in Patients With Inflammatory Breast Cancer: A Meta-Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer. Currently, patients who respond to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) are treated with mastectomy and axillary lymph node dissection. This study aimed to synthesize real-world data to evaluate the feasibility of breast-conserving therapy (BCT), sentinel lymph node (SLN), and sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for patients with IBC who respond to NAC. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for relevant articles. Clinical studies that compared mastectomy with BCT for IBC treatment were reviewed. The primary outcomes were local recurrence rate and 5-y survival rate in patients with IBC who responded to NAC. Furthermore, the SLN detection rate and false-negative rate (FNR) for SLNB were also evaluated. RESULTS: In the final analysis, 17 studies were included. The pooled estimates of the local recurrence rate for mastectomy and no surgical intervention were 18.6% and 15.9%, respectively (P = 0.956). Five-y survival was similar for mastectomy, partial mastectomy, and no surgical intervention (45.8%, 57.1%, and 39.4%, respectively). The pooled estimates of the SLN detection rate and FNR for SLNB were 81.9% and 21.8%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with IBC who respond to NAC, the local recurrence and 5-y survival rates in those undergoing BCT are noninferior to the rates in those undergoing mastectomy; therefore, BCT could be a feasible option for surgical management. However, a poor SLN detection rate and a high FNR were found in patients undergoing SLNB. Further large-scale clinical studies are required to confirm our findings.

Reconsidering the Role of Frozen Section in Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy for Mastectomy Patients.

INTRODUCTION: Axillary lymph node dissection was recommended for mastectomy patients with more than two nodal metastases from sentinel lymph node biopsy. Conventionally, intraoperative frozen section was sent routinely to reduce the need for second-stage axillary lymph node dissection; however, recent global trend has seen decreasing usage of the intraoperative analyses. This pilot study conducted in Thailand aimed to evaluate the role of intraoperative frozen section of sentinel lymph node biopsy in early-stage breast cancer patients who underwent mastectomy. METHODS: A 5-y retrospective study of 1773 patients was conducted in Thailand. The inclusion criteria were early-stage breast cancer patients with either radiologically negative nodes, or radiographically borderline nodes found to be negative on fine needle aspiration who underwent mastectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy. Reoperations were indicated when three or more nodal metastases were detected on the pathological analysis. The reoperation rate prevented by frozen section and the reoperation rate needed for those with permanent section alone were reported. RESULTS: Among 265 patients, 202 patients underwent concomitant intraoperative frozen section while the remaining 63 patients underwent permanent section alone. Six patients (3.0%) from the frozen section group and one patient (1.6%) from the permanent section group were found with more than two nodal metastases. Despite using intraoperative frozen sections, only one patient from each group required reoperation. There was no significant difference in the number of patients requiring reoperation between the frozen section group and the permanent section group. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides strong evidence to all surgeons that in early breast cancer patients undergoing mastectomy, sentinel lymph node biopsy with permanent section analysis alone may not lower the standard of care compared to using additional intraoperative frozen section analysis. Adopting this practice may lead to decreased operation costs, operative time, and anesthetic side effects.

Caffeic acid-grafted chitosan/sodium alginate/nanoclay-based multifunctional 3D-printed hybrid scaffolds for local drug release therapy after breast cancer surgery.

Breast cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in women all over the world. Mastectomy is the most effective treatment, but there are serious problems such as high tumor recurrence rate and side effects of chemotherapy. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a therapeutic strategy that can effectively promote postoperative wound healing and inhibit local tumor recurrence. In this study, a 3D printing scaffold based on carbon dots-curcumin nano-drug release (CCNPs) was developed as a local drug delivery platform (named CCNACA using CCNPs, Sodium alginate, Nanoclay and Caffeic Acid grafted Chitosan as raw materials), which has the ability to visualize drug release. The 14-day drug release test in vitro showed that the tumor inhibition rate of CCNACA scaffolds on breast cancer cells (MCF-7) was 73.77 ± 1.68 %. And the CCNACA scaffolds had good long-term antibacterial (Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus) activity. Animal experiments have shown that implanting CCNACA scaffolds into surgical defects can inhibit postoperative residual cancer cells, reduce inflammation, promote angiogenesis, and repair tissue defects caused by surgery. In summary, the local drug delivery system of this manuscript has great potential in wound healing and prevention of tumor recurrence after breast cancer surgery.

Risk factors for long-term arm morbidities following breast cancer treatments: A systematic review.

PURPOSE: To examine the risk factors for arm morbidity following breast cancer treatments, taking a broad view of all types of physical morbidity, including prolonged pain, lymphedema, decreased range of motion, and functional limitations. METHODS: A systematic literature review was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Guidelines. Studies exploring the risk factors for prolonged arm morbidity following breast cancer surgery and treatments were included. The studies were assessed independently according to pre-eligibility criteria, following data extraction and methodological quality assessment. RESULTS: 1,242 articles were identified. After removing duplicates, the full texts of 1,153 articles were examined. Sixty-nine of these articles met the criteria and were included in the review. These 69 articles identified 29 risk factors for arm morbidity following treatments for breast cancer. The risk of bias was evaluated using NIH study quality assessment tools. The studies reviewed were published between 2001 and 2021 and included a total of 22,886 patients who were followed up for between three months and 10 years. CONCLUSIONS: The main risk factors for long-term morbidity are removal of lymph nodes from the axilla, body mass index >30, having undergone a mastectomy, the stage of the disease, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, infection and trauma to the affected arm after surgery. An understanding of the risk factors for prolonged arm morbidity after surgery can help doctors and therapists in making personalized decisions about the need and timing of rehabilitation treatments.

Influence of anesthetic blockades on recurrence and spread of breast cancer / Influencia de los bloqueos anestésicos en la recidiva y diseminación del cáncer de mama

Introduction: Historically, pathological and laboratory factors are considered in the prognosis of breast cancer. Tumor resection surgery constitutes the main treatment, but paradoxically, the surgical manipulation and perioperative immunosuppression may predispose to cancer dissemination. Locoregional anesthetic techniques would avoid this immunosuppression, thus improving the oncologic outcomes of surgery. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic influence of locoregional anesthesia on breast cancer dissemination and recurrence after surgery. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed on 165 centrolobulillar breast cancer patients, scheduled for non-reconstructive breast oncologic surgery between 2012 and 2015. These patients were treated with conservative surgery under general anesthesia (control group, n = 81) or combined anesthesia with a locoregional block (n = 84). Data were collected on age, tumor type (size, stage, lymph node infiltration), immunohistochemical factors (hormone receptors), procedure (duration, technique), anesthesia (general anesthesia or associated with regional blockade), complications, survival, and recurrence. Results: Statistical analysis demonstrated no significative differences in age, weight, sex, ASA status, and surgical technique and duration. Tumor recurrence was recorded in 6 patients (4 in the general group and 2 in the locoregional group) 1 year after surgery, and 6 (4 in the general group and 2 in the locoregional group) 5 years after. No significant differences between groups in morbi-mortality were found. Conclusions: Following the interfascial analgesic technique, a lower rate of tumor recurrence was observed, but no significant differences. (AU)

Introducción: Históricamente, se han considerado los factores patológicos y de laboratorio para pronosticar el cáncer de mama. La cirugía de resección tumoral constituye el tratamiento principal pero, paradójicamente, la manipulación quirúrgica y la inmunosupresión perioperatoria pueden predisponer a la diseminación del cáncer. Las técnicas anestésicas locorregionales evitarían esta inmunosupresión, mejorando por tanto los resultados oncológicos de la cirugía. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la influencia pronóstica de la anestesia locorregional en la diseminación y recidiva del cáncer de mama tras la cirugía. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio de cohorte retrospectivo de 165 pacientes de cáncer de mama centrolobulillar, programadas para cirugía oncológica de mama no reconstructiva entre 2012 y 2015. Dichas pacientes fueron tratadas con cirugía conservadora bajo anestesia general (grupo control, n = 81) o anestesia combinada con bloqueo locorregional (n = 84). Se recopilaron datos sobre edad, tipo de tumor (tamaño, estado, infiltración ganglionar), factores inmunohistoquímicos (receptores hormonales), procedimiento (duración, técnica), anestesia (anestesia general o anestesia asociada a bloqueo regional), complicaciones, supervivencia y recidiva. Resultados: El análisis estadístico no mostró diferencias significativas en cuando a edad, peso, sexo, estatus ASA, técnica quirúrgica y duración. Se registró la recidiva tumoral en 6 pacientes (4 en el grupo general y 2 en el grupo locorregional) transcurrido un año de la cirugía, y 6 pacientes (4 en el grupo general y 2 en el grupo locorregional) transcurridos cinco años. No se encontraron diferencias significativas entre los grupos en términos de morbi-mortalidad. Conclusiones: Tras la técnica analgésica interfascial, se observó una tasa de recidiva tumoral inferior, aunque sin diferencias significativas. (AU)

Calidad de vida y satisfacción posterior a cirugía oncoplástica unilateral. Experiencia de un hospital oncológico de Latinoamérica / Quality of life and satisfaction after unilateral oncoplastic surgery. Experience of a Latin American cancer hospital

Introducción: la cirugía oncoplástica (COP), ha tenido un gran desarrollo, permitiendo resecciones oncológicas seguras y previniendo potenciales deformidades y asimetrías. Evaluamos el impacto en la calidad de vida en pacientes con COP nivel I y II, mediante el cuestionario BREAST Q BCT y el deseo de simetrización posterior a la terapia adyuvante. Metodología: se estudiaron 50 pacientes, con diagnóstico de cáncer de mama, tratadas con COP (nivel I y nivel II) unilateral, durante el periodo entre octubre de 2017 y mayo de 2022, a quienes se les aplicó el cuestionario BREAST Q BCT postoperatorio, además de una encuesta sobre el deseo de simetrización. Resultados: en los dominios del BREAST Q estudiados se registraron: «bienestar psicosocial» (mediana de 83) «bienestar sexual» (mediana de 66), «bienestar físico» (mediana de 76), «satisfacción con la mama operada» (mediana de 80), «satisfacción con la información recibida» (mediana de 76) y «satisfacción con el equipo de salud» (mediana de 100). No se encontró relación estadística entre las variables estudiadas y las puntuaciones de la mediana del dominio «satisfacción de mama operada». Solo el 10% de las pacientes expresaron el deseo de simetrización. Conclusión: los resultados demuestran niveles altos de satisfacción en COP nivel I y II unilateral, teniendo un impacto en la calidad de vida de las pacientes; expresando el deseo de simetrización, predominante en mamoplastias de nivel II y COP extrema. (AU)

Introduction: Oncoplastic surgery (COP) has had a great development, allowing safe oncological resections, preventing potential deformities and asymmetries. We evaluated the impact on quality of life in patients with COP level I and II, using the BREAST Q BCT questionnaire and the desire for symmetrization after adjuvant therapy. Methodology: 50 patients diagnosed with breast cancer, treated with unilateral COP (Level I and Level II), were studied during the period between October 2017 and May 2022, to whom the BREAST Q BCT postoperative questionnaire was applied, in addition to survey on the desire for symmetrization. Results: In the domains of the BREAST Q studied, they recorded: "psychosocial well-being" (median of 83), "sexual well-being" (median of 66), "physical well-being" (median of 76), "satisfaction with the operated breast" (median of 80), "satisfaction with the information received" (median of 76) and "satisfaction with the health team" (median of 100). No statistical relationship was found between the variables studied and the median scores of the "satisfaction of operated breast" domain. Only 10% of the patients expressed the desire for symmetrization. Conclusion: The results show high levels of satisfaction in COP level I and II unilateral, having an impact on the quality of life of the patients; expressing the desire for symmetrization, predominant in level II mammoplasties and extreme COP. (AU)

Prevención quirúrgica del linfedema del miembro superior relacionado con la cirugía axilar en el cáncer de mama / Surgical prevention of upper limb lymphoedema related to axillary surgery in breast cancer

El linfedema (LE) es una de las secuelas más graves e incapacitantes secundarias al tratamiento en el cáncer de mama debido a las limitaciones funcionales, implicaciones estéticas y riesgo de infección que conlleva. Se estima que entre el 29 y 39% de las pacientes que se sujetan a una linfadenectomía axilar desarrollan LE, frente a entre 5 y 7% de los que casos que se realiza una biopsia selectiva de ganglio centinela. Para intentar reducir su incidencia, se ha desarrollado el mapeo axilar inverso. El objetivo de esta técnica es diferenciar las distintas vías de drenaje linfático axilar y del brazo mediante la inyección de un colorante azul en el brazo ipsilateral, para poder respetar los linfáticos que drenan la extremidad superior durante la disección linfática axilar. Otra posibilidad es usar verde de indocianina y así combinar el procedimiento de mapeo axilar inverso con el trazador dual estándar en la biopsia selectiva de ganglio centinela. Gracias a la microcirugía se han desarrollado técnicas como la anastomosis linfático-venosa para la prevención secundaria de LE, de manera que los linfáticos aferentes del brazo se pueden redirigir a ramas colaterales de la vena axilar para restaurar el flujo linfático fisiológico. Este procedimiento es más eficaz en las etapas precoces de LE. En los últimos años se está llevando a cabo la técnica LYMPHA, que consiste en anastomosar los vasos linfáticos del brazo a una rama colateral de la vena axilar en el momento de la disección ganglionar. Esta se ha demostrado útil en la prevención primaria de LE y en la reducción de complicaciones tempranas. (AU)

Lymphoedema (LE) is one of the most serious and disabling sequelae secondary to breast cancer treatment due to the functional limitations, cosmetic implications and risk of infection it entails. Twenty-nine to thirty-nine per cent of patients who undergo axillary lymphadenectomy (AL) are estimated to develop LE, compared to 5-7% in those who undergo selective sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). In an attempt to reduce its incidence, Reverse Axillary Mapping (ARM) has been developed. The aim of this technique is to differentiate the different axillary and arm lymphatic drainage pathways by injecting a blue dye into the ipsilateral arm, in order to respect the lymphatics draining the upper extremity during axillary lymphatic dissection. Another possibility is to use indocyanine green and thus combine the ARM procedure with the standard dual tracer in SLNB. Thanks to microsurgery, techniques such as lymphatic-venous anastomosis (LVA) have been developed for secondary prevention of lymphoedema, so that afferent lymphatics in the arm can be redirected to collateral branches of the axillary vein to restore physiological lymphatic flow. In recent years, the LYMPHA technique, which involves anastomosing the lymphatic vessels of the arm to a collateral branch of the axillary vein at the time of lymph node dissection, has been implemented. This has been shown to be useful in the primary prevention of LE and in the reduction of early complications. (AU)

Giant tubular adenoma of the breast in a child female – Case report / Adenoma tubular gigante de mama en mujer adolescente – caso clínico

Tubular adenoma of the breast is one of the rarest benign tumors and little is known about this entity. Some cases of giant tubular adenoma of breast have been reported, but till the moment the largest lesion described in literature was a case of a 18 cm tubular adenoma in 31-year-old women. In this case report of a 12-year-old patient, we present the largest giant tubular adenoma of the breast ever described. It was an atypical presentation, not only due to the tumor size, but also due to the absence of a clear cleavage plan with the breast tissue in the physical exam and its rapid growth. (AU)

El adenoma tubular de mama es uno de los tumores benignos más raros y poco se conoce sobre esta entidad. Se han reportado algunos casos de adenoma tubular gigante de mama, pero hasta el momento la lesión más grande descrita en la literatura fue un caso de adenoma tubular de 18 cm en una mujer de 31 años. En este caso clínico de una paciente de 12 años, presentamos el adenoma tubular gigante de mama más grande jamás descrito. Fue una presentación atípica, no solo por el tamaño del tumor, sino también por la ausencia de un plan de clivaje claro con el tejido mamario en el examen físico y su rápido crecimiento. (AU)

Descripción de un caso de adenomatosis erosiva del pezón: tratamiento quirúrgico / Case report of erosive adenomatosis of the nipple: Surgical treatment

La adenomatosis erosiva es una neoplasia benigna poco frecuente que afecta al pezón. Caracterizado por erosión, telorrea, telorragia, nodularidad, prurito y eritema, ocasionando un proceso destructivo progresivo del pezón, el cual puede ser confundido con la enfermedad de Paget; motivo por el cual el conocimiento de esta enfermedad es fundamental para evitar el sobretratamiento quirúrgico. Presentamos el caso de una paciente de 35 años diagnosticada y tratada con cirugía, así como la revisión de la literatura de esta entidad. (AU)

Erosive adenomatosis is a rare benign neoplasm that affects the nipple. Characterized by erosion, telorrhoea, telorrhagia, nodularity, pruritus and erythema, causing a progressive destructive process of the nipple, which can be confused with Paget's disease; which is why knowledge of this pathology is essential to avoid surgical overtreatment. We present the case of a 35-year-old patient diagnosed and treated with surgery, as well as a review of the literature on this entity. (AU)

Eficacia de la fisioterapia para mejorar la calidad de vida y el dolor en el tratamiento del linfedema postmastectomía. Una revisión sistemática / Efficacy of physiotherapy to improve quality of life and pain in the treatment of postmastectomy lymphedema. A systematic review

Objetivo Comparar la evidencia de los diferentes tratamientos para el linfedema y los posibles dolores miofasciales postmastectomía, para conseguir la máxima calidad de vida de los pacientes. Estrategia de búsqueda y selección de estudios Se realizó una búsqueda en las bases de datos PubMed, Phisiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) y Web of Science (WOS) durante marzo y abril del año 2022. Se tuvo en cuenta que los pacientes hubiesen sido intervenidos quirúrgicamente por cáncer de mama (CaMama), mayores de 18 años y que los estudios fuesen ensayos clínicos; resultando un total de 10 artículos seleccionados. Se evaluó la calidad metodológica y factor de impacto de cada uno de ellos. Síntesis de resultados Las variables analizadas fueron reducción del linfedema, calidad de vida y abordaje del dolor. El tratamiento a través de drenaje linfático manual (DLM) presentó mejorías en todos los artículos que hacían referencia a la reducción del linfedema, tanto de forma individual como de forma aislada; en cambio, respecto a los dolores miofasciales el tratamiento de liberación miofascial mostró mejoras tanto en la calidad emocional como en la disminución del dolor, siendo más efectivo en esta última variable. Conclusiones Los tratamientos que mejoran la calidad de vida y dolor de los pacientes que han sufrido una intervención quirúrgica debido al CaMama, además de reducir el linfedema son DLM, facilitación neuromuscular propioceptiva (FNP), liberación miofascial y programas de ejercicios y entrenamientos. La limitación principal respecto a los tratamientos, es que no existe ningún programa de intervención específico (AU)

Objective To compare the evidence of the different treatments for lymphedema and possible postmastectomy myofascial pain, to achieve the highest quality of life for patients. Search strategy and selection of studies A search was carried out in the PubMed, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) and Web of Science (WOS) databases during March and April 2022. It was taken into account that the patients had undergone surgery surgically for breast cancer, that they were over 18 years of age and that the studies were clinical trials; resulting in a total of 10 selected articles. The methodological quality and impact factor of each of them were evaluated. Summary of results The variables analyzed were reduction of lymphedema, quality of life and pain management. Treatment through manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) presented improvements in all the articles that made reference to the reduction of lymphedema, both individually and in isolation; On the other hand, regarding myofascial pain, myofascial release treatment showed improvements in both emotional quality and pain reduction, being more effective in this last variable. Conclusions The treatments that improve the quality of life and pain of patients who have undergone surgery due to breast cancer, in addition to reducing lymphedema, are manual lymphatic drainage, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, myofascial release, and exercise and training programs. The main limitation regarding treatments is that there is no specific intervention program (AU)

The association between metacognition, coping style and fear of cancer recurrence among postmastectomy patients: A cross sectional study.

PURPOSE: To investigate the incidence of fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) in Chinese postmastectomy patients and explore the relationships between metacognition, coping style, and FCR on the basis of the self-regulating executive function model. METHODS: A total of 480 postmastectomy patients from two tertiary comprehensive hospitals in Xi'an were enrolled from March 2021 to November 2021. The participants completed demographic information, the Metacognitions Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30), Positive Metacognitions and Positive Meta-Emotions Questionnaire (PMCEQ), Simplified Copying Style Questionnaire (SCSQ), and Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory Short Form (FCRI-SF). RESULTS: 34.2% of the respondents had scores indicating a clinical level of FCR (FCRI-SF≥13). FCR had a positive correlation with maladaptive metacognition and negative coping style (P < 0.01), while adaptive metacognition and positive coping style were negatively correlated (P < 0.01). Besides, maladaptive metacognition had both direct and indirect effects on FCR, with the indirect effect primarily mediated by negative coping style (total effect, 0.430). Adaptive metacognition had both direct and indirect effects on FCR, with the indirect effect primarily mediated by positive coping style (total effect,ï¹£0.302). CONCLUSION: FCR was a common phenomenon in postmastectomy patients and moderate in most patients. In addition, both metacognition and coping style had a direct and indirect association with the occurrence and development of FCR. Moreover, adaptive metacognition and maladaptive metacognition had different mechanisms on FCR in patients with breast cancer.

Beyond the scars: a qualitative study on the experiences of mastectomy among young women with breast cancer in a country with crisis.

BACKGROUND: As breast cancer incidence rises among younger women, there is a knowledge gap regarding the emotional, physical, and social effects of mastectomy, specifically in a crisis-affected country such as Syria. This study aimed to explore these effects on young women with breast cancer in Syria, taking into consideration the cultural significance of a woman's breast as part of her feminine identity. METHODS: A qualitative design, using semi-structured in-depth interviews with 10 young women with breast cancer who underwent mastectomy, was conducted between June to December 2022. RESULTS: Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data, and five main themes were identified: (1) psychological and emotional well-being (altered self-esteem and femininity, impact on sexual life and relationships, psychological distress associated with mastectomy, mirror trauma and the need for psychological care); (2) body image and breast reconstruction (the dilemma over reconstruction decision, body image and clothing and lack of access to prosthetic information/services); (3) social and interpersonal factors (lack of marriage choices and society's view and stigma); (4) coping mechanisms with mastectomy effects (family support; faith in god almighty; comparing their situation to others and use of prosthetics) and (5) physical health and functioning (physical effects on mobility and function). CONCLUSION: Mastectomy has significant physical, emotional, and social consequences on young women with breast cancer, particularly in crisis-affected Syria where access to breast reconstruction is limited. It is crucial for healthcare professionals to understand these impacts, to raise awareness, encourage early detection, and promote less aggressive treatments to improve women's quality of life.

Investigating the levels of depression, anxiety, sexual disorders, and other influencing factors in breast cancer patients: Turkish radiation oncology integrative group study (12-05).

The fear of death associated with cancer and the side effects of its treatments can have a detrimental psychological impact on breast cancer patients. Early detection and support services play a crucial role in alleviating the expected symptoms of depression, anxiety, and sexual dysfunction. The objective of our study is to assess the levels of depression, anxiety, and sexual dysfunction in breast cancer patients, as well as identify the factors that influence these conditions. The study involved 329 voluntarily participating breast cancer patients who had undergone surgery and were in the follow-up stage. Data were collected from 8 different centers after obtaining ethical approval. The assessment utilized tools such as the Sociodemographic Information Form, Beck Depression and Anxiety Scale, and Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 20. The study included 329 breast cancer patients in the follow-up stage post-surgery. Their average age was 52.7 years (range: 27-83). Results indicated that 33.1% experienced moderate to severe depression, 18.2% reported severe anxiety, and 82.7% scored above 11 on the sexual scale. Factors linked to higher scores were mastectomy, surgical dissatisfaction, insufficient information on sexual side effects, and comorbidities like smoking and diabetes. The study emphasizes the importance of closely monitoring anxiety, depression levels, and sexual side effects in breast cancer treatment. It underscores the need to focus not only on reducing mortality rates but also on supporting patients' psychological and sexual well-being, ultimately improving their overall quality of life.

Normative BREAST-Q reconstruction scores for satisfaction and well-being of the breasts and potential donor sites: what are Swedish women of the general population satisfied/dissatisfied with?

BACKGROUND: Normative data for interpreting the BREAST-Q reconstruction module are currently limited to four populations. The primary aim of this study was to create Swedish normative values for the BREAST-Q reconstruction domains. The secondary aim was to describe what aspects of the breasts and potential donor sites that women of the general population are generally satisfied or dissatisfied with. METHODS: The BREAST-Q reconstruction module was sent to a random sample of 400 women currently living in Region Västra Götaland. Descriptive data are presented. RESULTS: One hundred and forty-six women answered the questionnaire (36.5%). The mean age of the cohort was 53 years, and the mean body mass index (BMI) was 25 kg/m2. Mean total scores ranged from 50 to 90. The mean score for satisfaction with breast was 57 on a 0-100 scale. Women with high BMI values seem to be less satisfied with their breasts and physical and sexual well-being. The participants were most satisfied with their breasts when clothed. Overall, the reported physical well-being related to potential donor sites was high. CONCLUSIONS: Normative data for BREAST-Q constitute a reference point, which allows us to put another perspective on changes in scores rather than just comparing scores before and after surgery. Scores were somewhat different than scores in previously published normative populations, which indicates that there might be cultural differences in breast satisfaction.

[Individual Needs of the Patient in Breast Reconstruction - Are There Limits to Plastic Surgery?]

INTRODUCTION: The breast is essential to a woman's physical integrity. There are numerous techniques for breast reconstruction, so that the needs and limitations of each patient can be respected. The individual preferences of the patient play an important role in the decision of silicone implants vs. autologous tissue, size, and shape of the breast as well as the timing of the surgery. The only reasons not to perform a reconstruction are a locally incompletely removed tumor or the explicit wish of the patient against reconstruction. The costs for reconstruction are covered by the health insurance for all procedures, including symmetrizing the opposite breast, nipple reconstruction and autologous fat grafting.

Breast conserving surgery versus mastectomy: the effect of surgery on quality of life in breast cancer survivors in Malaysia.

BACKGROUND: In the competitive health care environment, patient satisfaction and quality of life (QoL) have become the subject of interest to evaluate the efficacy of therapeutic interventions as we experience improved breast cancer survival in modern times. The knowledge of the long-term effects of surgery on the QoL in breast cancer patients is currently limited in the Asian setting. The purpose of this longitudinal study is to evaluate the QoL of early-stage breast cancer patients undergoing mastectomy and breast-conserving surgery (BCS). METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, the QoL of 208 patients who underwent mastectomy and the BCS treatment were assessed, using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core Quality of Life Questionnaire. The questionnaire was administered at the baseline, 6 and 12 months following diagnosis. One-way ANCOVA was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: A total of 208 female survivors of Stage 0-II breast cancer were included, among them 47.1% underwent BCS and 52.9% underwent mastectomy. Older (63.3%), Chinese women (63.6%), and patients with primary education (71.7%) were more likely to undergo mastectomy. At baseline, no significant differences were observed for QoL in both treatment groups. At 6 months, patients who underwent BCS had better social functioning scales( P = 0.006) and worse symptom scales for dyspnoea (P = 0.031), compared to mastectomy patients. One year after diagnosis, the role functioning score of the mastectomy group was significantly higher than the BCS group, specifically among patients who had undergone chemotherapy (P = 0.034). CONCLUSION: Patients who underwent BCS had better social functioning and worse dyspnoea symptoms compared to patients undergoing mastectomy at six months. During one year, there were only significant improvements in the role functioning among the mastectomy groups compared to the BCS groups. After further stratification, only mastectomy patients who received chemotherapy exhibited improved role functioning compared to patients those who did not undergo chemotherapy. Providing social and physical support postoperatively and monitoring patients for cancer worry, or other symptoms in the long-term survivorship period would be important to ensure optimal QoL.

Correlation between AI-based CT organ features and normal lung dose in adjuvant radiotherapy following breast-conserving surgery: a multicenter prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Radiation pneumonitis (RP) is one of the common side effects after adjuvant radiotherapy in breast cancer. Irradiation dose to normal lung was related to RP. We aimed to propose an organ features based on deep learning (DL) model and to evaluate the correlation between normal lung dose and organ features. METHODS: Patients with pathology-confirmed invasive breast cancer treated with adjuvant radiotherapy following breast-conserving surgery in four centers were included. From 2019 to 2020, a total of 230 patients from four nationwide centers in China were screened, of whom 208 were enrolled for DL modeling, and 22 patients from another three centers formed the external testing cohort. The subset of the internal testing cohort (n = 42) formed the internal correlation testing cohort for correlation analysis. The outline of the ipsilateral breast was marked with a lead wire before the scanning. Then, a DL model based on the High-Resolution Net was developed to detect the lead wire marker in each slice of the CT images automatically, and an in-house model was applied to segment the ipsilateral lung region. The mean and standard deviation of the distance error, the average precision, and average recall were used to measure the performance of the lead wire marker detection model. Based on these DL model results, we proposed an organ feature, and the Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated between the proposed organ feature and ipsilateral lung volume receiving 20 Gray (Gy) or more (V20). RESULTS: For the lead wire marker detection model, the mean and standard deviation of the distance error, AP (5 mm) and AR (5 mm) reached 3.415 ± 4.529, 0.860, 0.883, and 4.189 ± 8.390, 0.848, 0.830 in the internal testing cohort and external testing cohort, respectively. The proposed organ feature calculated from the detected marker correlated with ipsilateral lung V20 (Pearson correlation coefficient, 0.542 with p < 0.001 in the internal correlation testing cohort and 0.554 with p = 0.008 in the external testing cohort). CONCLUSIONS: The proposed artificial Intelligence-based CT organ feature was correlated with normal lung dose in adjuvant radiotherapy following breast-conserving surgery in patients with invasive breast cancer. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT05609058 (08/11/2022).