The surgical treatment of breast cancer in the elderly: a single institution comparative review of 5235 patients with 1028 patients ≥70 years.

As the wave of the baby boomers shifts the age demographic of patients, the current surgical management of breast cancer in elderly women (≥70 years of age) becomes relevant because deviation from standard treatment often occurs in this group. The purpose of this study was to determine the operative mortality when treated with standard surgical procedures and to investigate trends in the surgical management of breast cancer in the elderly. A total of 5,235 patients undergoing either mastectomy or breast conservation surgery (BCS) for invasive and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) were identified in a retrospective review of a prospectively accrued data base between the years of 1994 and 2007 at the Moffitt Cancer Center. Of the 5,235 patients, 1,028 (20%) patients were ≥70 years of age. The 30-day and 90-day mortality in the elderly group (age ≥70 years) was 0.2% (95% CI 0.02-0.7%) and 0.7% (95% CI 0.3-1.4%), respectively. The 30-day and 90-day mortality among patients <70 years was 0 and 0.05% (2 of 4,207 patients) (95% CI 0.005-0.2), respectively. BCS rates for invasive carcinomas were the highest for patients between 40 and 70 years of age, whereas the mastectomy rates were higher among patients <40 years of age (53%). Elderly women were as likely as women <40 years to have BCS for invasive carcinoma (OR 1.1, 95% CI 0.8-1.5), but more likely to have BCS for DCIS (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.1-3.3). Surgical mortality in elderly women treated for breast cancer was extremely low and was related to the extent of surgery performed. Breast cancer treatment differed by age groups.

Axillary recurrence rate following negative sentinel node biopsy for invasive breast cancer: long-term follow-up.

OBJECTIVE: Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy has replaced axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) as the definitive nodal staging procedure for breast cancer. SLN biopsy has been proven to cause less morbidity and be more cost effective than complete ALND. Short-term follow-up has shown that lymphatic mapping and SLN have a low false-negative rate, but there is limited data demonstrating long-term outcomes within a large consecutive series of patients. METHODS: Retrospective review of a prospective database of breast cancer patients at our institution was performed. The initial mapping of 1,530 patients with invasive breast cancer who demonstrated a negative sentinel node biopsy and no axillary dissection between January 1995 and June 2003 were collated and reviewed to achieve a long-term follow-up. These 1,530 patients were reviewed for follow-up time, local recurrences, distant metastases, and survival. RESULTS: 1,530 consecutively mapped invasive breast cancer patients had a negative SLN biopsy and no ALND. The mean invasive tumor size was 1.40 cm. Of 1,530 patients, 73% (1,121) underwent lumpectomy and 27% (409) underwent mastectomy. Mean follow-up was 4.92 years (range 0-12.0 years). There have been 4 (0.26%) patients presenting with local axillary recurrences, 54 (3.53%) patients presenting with local recurrences in the ipsilateral breast/chest wall, and 24 (1.57%) presenting with distant metastases. CONCLUSION: These data confirm that SLN biopsy is an effective and safe alternative to ALND for detection of nodal metastases in patients with invasive breast cancer and should be used as the standard tool for nodal staging.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with previous ipsilateral complete axillary lymph node dissection.

BACKGROUND: Prior ipsilateral completion axillary lymph node dissection (CALND) may be considered a contraindication to performing a sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping in a patient with recurrent breast carcinoma. However, reoperative SLN biopsy following axillary dissection would determine if alternative lymphatic drainage pathways exist. If nodes were found to contain metastatic disease, staging and locoregional control of the disease could be affected. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An institutional breast cancer database and electronic health record (IRB No. 102554) prospectively accrued 6225 patients between 1994 and 2007. Under separate IRB approval (IRB No. 102552), this database was queried for patients with a prior history of CALND who received a SLN biopsy. Patients' demographic, clinical, and treatment variables were recorded. RESULTS: Of the 6225 patients, 45 (0.7%) were identified as having previously undergone breast-conservation surgery, CALND, and ipsilateral reoperative SLN mapping and biopsy. Of the 45 patients, 13 (29%) had a successful ipsilateral reoperative SLN mapping and biopsy. Nonaxillary drainage was identified in 5 patients with reoperative SLN biopsy. CONCLUSION: Reoperative SLN mapping and biopsy is feasible in the setting of local recurrence after previous CALND. This procedure performed for breast cancer recurrence provides important staging information while identifying extra-axillary drainage that could affect both staging and local control.

Male breast cancer: management and follow-up recommendations.

National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines for female breast cancer treatment and surveillance are well established, but similar guidelines on male breast cancers are less recognized. As an NCCN institution, our objective was to examine practice patterns and follow-up for male breast cancer compared to established guidelines for female patients. After Institutional Review Board approval, a prospective breast database from 1990 to 2009 was queried for male patients. Medical records were examined for clinico-pathological factors and follow-up. The 5-year survival rates with 95% confidence intervals were estimated using Kaplan-Meier method and Greenwood formula. Of the 19,084 patients in the database, 73 (0.4%) were male patients; 62 had complete data. One patient had bilateral synchronous breast cancer. The median age was 68.8 years (range 29-85 years). The mean/median invasive tumor size was 2.2/1.6 cm (range 0.0-10.0 cm). All cases had mastectomy (29 with axillary node dissection, 23 with sentinel lymph node biopsy only, 11 with sentinel node biopsy followed by completion axillary dissection). Lymph node involvement occurred in 25/63 (39.7%). Based on NCCN guidelines, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and radiation are indicated in 34 cases, 62 cases, and 14 cases, respectively. Only 20/34 (59%) received chemotherapy, 51/62 (82%) received hormonal therapy, and 10/14 (71%) received post-mastectomy radiation. Median follow-up was 26.2 months (range: 1.6-230.9 months). The 5-year survival estimates for node positive and negative diseases were 68.5% and 87.5%, respectively (p = 0.3). Despite the rarity of male breast cancer, treatment options based on current female breast tumors produce comparable results to female breast cancer. Increased awareness and a national registry for patients could help improve outcomes and tailor treatment recommendations to the male variant.

Erratum to: Axillary recurrence rate following negative sentinel node biopsy for invasive breast cancer: long-term follow-up.

OBJECTIVE: Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy has replaced axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) as the staging procedure for breast cancer. SLN biopsy causes less morbidity and is more cost effective than complete ALND. Lymphatic mapping and SLN biopsy have a low false-negative rate, but long-term outcomes in large consecutive series of patients are unavailable. METHODS: Retrospective review of a prospectively accrued institutional breast cancer database was performed. The initial mapping of 1,528 patients with invasive breast cancer that demonstrated negative sentinel node biopsy and no axillary dissection in 1,530 cases between January 1995 and June 2003 were collated and reviewed to achieve a long-term follow-up. These 1,528 patients were reviewed for follow-up time, local recurrences, distant metastases, and survival. RESULTS: A total of 1,530 consecutively mapped invasive breast cancer cases had negative SLN biopsy and no ALND. The mean invasive tumor size of was 1.40 cm. Of patients, 1,212 (79.2%) underwent lumpectomy and 318 (20.8%) underwent mastectomy. Median follow-up was 63 months (range 0.1-144 months). There have been 4 (0.26%) cases presenting with local axillary recurrences, 54 (3.53%) cases presenting with local recurrences in the ipsilateral breast/chest wall, and 24 (1.57%) cases presenting with distant metastases. CONCLUSION: These data confirm that SLN biopsy is an effective and safe alternative to ALND for detection of nodal metastases in patients with invasive breast cancer and validates its use as the standard tool for nodal staging.

Effects of prior augmentation and reduction mammoplasty to sentinel node lymphatic mapping in breast cancer.

Previous plastic surgery procedures such as breast augmentation or reduction mammoplasty can potentially alter the lymphatic drainage of the breast. The purpose of this study is to determine the success rates of sentinel node lymphatic mapping in patients with previous plastic surgical procedures of the breast. A total of 83 patients with a history of plastic surgery of the breast that underwent subsequent sentinel node mapping between 1996 and 2008 were retrospectively analyzed. Eight-three patients that underwent a total of 108 sentinel node biopsies. Hundred cases (93%) previously underwent breast augmentation and eight cases (7%) previously underwent reduction mammoplasty. The mean time between the previous plastic surgical procedures and the sentinel node biopsy was 10.3 years (range: 2 months-32 years). Indications for the mapping procedure were invasive cancer (n = 64), ductal carcinoma in situ (n = 17), and prophylactic mastectomy (n = 27). The identification rate of the sentinel node was 95.3% (103/108). The success rate based on type of procedure was 96% (96/100) for augmentation and 87.5% (7/8) for reduction mammoplasty. With a mean follow-up of 3.4 years, there has been only one local axillary recurrence that occurred at the time of an ipsilateral breast recurrence following lumpectomy. Lymphatic mapping can be successfully performed in patients who have previously undergone plastic surgery operations.

Are mastectomies on the rise? A 13-year trend analysis of the selection of mastectomy versus breast conservation therapy in 5865 patients.

BACKGROUND: The equivalency of survival between mastectomy and breast conservation therapy (BCT) has long been established, resulting in two decades of predominant BCT. Recently, surgeons have recognized a trend toward increasing mastectomy. Institutional trends of mastectomy and BCT were reviewed, confirming this perception in the surgical treatment of breast cancer. This report evaluates the factors that influence patient decisions to choose surgical therapies. METHODS: Patients who underwent mastectomy or BCT for invasive and in situ breast cancer were identified upon retrospective review of a prospectively accrued breast cancer database between 1994 and 2007. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) of the association between mastectomy and patients' clinicopathologic characteristics. RESULTS: Of the 5,865 patients, 3,736 underwent BCT and 2,129 underwent mastectomy. The overall surgical volume decreased during the study period. Mastectomy rates during the periods of 1994-1998, 1999-2003, and 2004-2007 were 33%, 33%, and 44%, respectively (P < 0.01). Immediate reconstruction rates decreased during the same time periods from 16%, 5%, and 7%, respectively (P < 0.01). On logistic regression analysis, gender, age < 40 years, increase tumor size, and lymphovascular invasion were significant independent predictors of mastectomy. The mastectomy rate increased during the period 1999-2003 (OR 1.2) and during 2004-2007(OR 1.8). CONCLUSIONS: The perception of an increasing choice toward mastectomy has been confirmed at this institution. Possible reasons are younger population with higher lifetime risk, higher stage disease, and more biologically aggressive or diffuse tumors. Patient preference, fear of genetic or recurrence risk, and "intangible" factors seem to shift decisions toward mastectomy.

Feasibility of sentinel lymph node biopsy through an inframammary incision for a nipple-sparing mastectomy.

BACKGROUND: Nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) via an inframammary (IM) incision has been described for selected patients with breast cancer. However, the application of sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping via an IM incision for NSM has yet to be reported. The objective of this study is to determine the technical feasibility of performing SLN through an IM incision without making an axillary counterincision. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed our single-institutional experience with SLN biopsy and NSM through IM incisions between January 2006 and March 2008. Clinicopathologic factors were analyzed regarding indications, technical details, postoperative morbidity, and follow-up. RESULTS: Fifty-two patients underwent 87 NSM through an IM incision (17 unilateral, 35 bilateral) with immediate reconstruction and SLN biopsy. Indications for surgery included invasive breast cancer (n = 21), ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) (n = 18), and prophylactic (n = 48). Mean tumor size of invasive carcinoma was 2.1 cm. The mean mastectomy specimen weight was 437 g. Subareolar injection consisted of blue dye (n = 43), technetium sulfur colloid (n = 2), or combination injection (n = 42). SLN biopsy through an IM incision was successfully performed in 84 of 87 cases (96.6%). A mean of 2.8 SLN were removed with a positive sentinel node encountered in 8 of 21 patients (38%) with invasive cancer. No complications were observed regarding the SLN portion of the operation. With a median follow-up of 6.5 months (range, 0.4-23 months), there have been no axillary local recurrences. CONCLUSION: SLN biopsy can be performed through an IM incision during a NSM, avoiding a secondary axillary incision.

Outcomes of locoregional recurrence after surgical chest wall resection and reconstruction for breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Locoregional chest wall recurrences involving ribs and/or sternum after primary surgical treatment predict a poor outcome in patients with breast cancer. The precise natural history and surgical outcome of these chest wall recurrences are not fully understood. The objective of this study is to clarify the clinicopathological features of chest wall recurrence of breast cancer and evaluate prognostic factors predicting survival after chest wall resection and reconstruction (CWRR). METHODS: A total of 28 patients who underwent CWRR at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center between December 1999 and September 2007 were retrospectively analyzed. Overall survival was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method and the significance of prognostic variables was evaluated by log-rank and Cox regression analyses. RESULTS: The postoperative morbidity and mortality was 21% and 0%, respectively. Overall 5-year survival for the entire cohort was 18%. Disease-free interval <24 months (P = 0.03) and triple-negative phenotype (P = 0.002) were the only independent predictors of survival. Overall 1-, 2-, and 5-year survival rates for the triple-negative phenotype were 38%, 23%, and 0%, respectively. In contrast, overall 1-, 2-, and 5-year survival rates for the non-triple-negative phenotype were 100%, 70%, and 39%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Radical chest wall resection can be done without mortality and acceptable morbidity to accomplish long-term palliation. The strongest predictor of overall survival was the triple-negative phenotype. Because the triple-negative phenotype is not amenable to any form of therapy, palliative resection may be warranted. Development of appropriate targeted therapies to this population of patients is critical.

Problems with the use of breast conservation therapy for breast cancer in a patient with neurofibromatosis type 1: a case report.

Patients with neurofibromatosis type I and breast cancer represent a subset of people who may be considered at high risk for secondary cancers after conventional whole breast radiation therapy and breast conservation surgery. A case of a 49-year-old woman with neurofibromatosis type I is presented. She was diagnosed with a 1.1-cm right breast infiltrating ductal carcinoma. Clinical, diagnostic imaging, and pathologic features are discussed. Her initial treatment plan of breast conserving therapy was thwarted when her sentinel node biopsy was positive for micrometastatic disease in 1/14 lymph nodes. She elected to have a bilateral simple mastectomy. This case addresses the rare dilemma of offering breast conservation therapy as a viable option for patients with neurofibromatosis type I. Current data on radiation-induced secondary cancers such as sarcoma after treatment for breast and other cancers are reviewed.

Pregnancy-associated breast cancer patients can safely undergo lymphatic mapping.

As more women put off pregnancy until their 30s and beyond, the possibility of pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) will rise. Treatment options for patients with PABC need to consider possible harm to the fetus. The goal of this study is to review our institution's experience with sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsies in patients with PABC. A prospectively accrued breast Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved data base was searched under separate IRB approval for cases of SLN biopsy in patients with PABC. Ten patients were identified between 1994 and 2006 out of 5,563 patients. A chart review was performed on all 10 patients. Ten patients with PABC and an average gestation age of 15.8 weeks underwent SLN biopsy. All patients successfully mapped. Positive SLN were identified in 5/10 patients (50%) while there was no evidence of metastases in 5/10 patients (50%). 9/10 (90%) of patients went on to deliver healthy children without any reported problems. One patient (10%) decided to terminate her pregnancy in the first trimester following surgery prior to the start of chemotherapy. SLN biopsy can safely be performed in patients with PABC with minimal risk to the fetus. By performing a SLN biopsy, a large proportion of patients with PABC may be spared the risk of a complete axillary lymph node dissection.

Indications for sentinel lymph node biopsy in the setting of prophylactic mastectomy.

BACKGROUND: Bilateral/contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (PM) is offered to high-risk women to decrease their actual or perceived breast cancer risk. When an invasive occult cancer is identified, prevailing wisdom suggests that an axillary dissection be performed. This single-institution study aims to identify patients who may benefit from sentinel node biopsy (SLNB) at the time of prophylactic mastectomy. STUDY DESIGN: We performed a retrospective review of a prospective database of patients treated at our institution with bilateral/contralateral PM between 1995 and 2006. We examined patients' clinicopathologic characteristics in comparison with their incidence of occult cancer in the contralateral breast or axilla. RESULTS: There were 449 patients who underwent PM and SLNB. Twenty-eight underwent bilateral PM. Of the 28, no occult cancers were identified. Occult cancers were identified in 18 of 420 (4.3%) contralateral prophylactic specimens; they were invasive in 6 (1.4%). In cases of occult carcinoma, the primary established tumor was more likely to be of invasive lobular histology. Eight of 420 (2%) patients had a positive contralateral sentinel node, and within this subset of 8 patients the majority had locally advanced disease on the known tumor side. Other features associated with a positive contralateral sentinel node included the presence of lymphovascular involvement or skin or nipple involvement and grade 2 to 3 invasive primary established tumors. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, SLNB in patients undergoing bilateral PM or contralateral PM associated with early-stage disease is not indicated. But patients with locally advanced primary breast cancers have a significantly increased risk of occult cancer in the contralateral axilla, likely due to crossover metastasis; this select group of patients may benefit from SLNB at the time of surgery.

Factors associated with improved outcome after surgery in metastatic breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggest local surgical therapy improves survival in metastatic breast cancer (MBC). We evaluate the difference in outcome in patients with MBC after mastectomy versus breast conservation (BCT) and factors that influence outcome. METHODS: In a retrospective review of our prospective database, we identified patients who presented with MBC (1990 to 2007). Patient surgery type and clinicopathologic factors were reviewed. We compared OS between pts dependent on surgery and clinicopathologic factors. RESULTS: Of the 566 patients with MBC, 154 (27%) underwent removal of the primary tumor. Surgery was associated with an improved OS (33%) versus no surgery (20%) (P = 0.0015). Of those undergoing local therapy; mastectomy was associated with a 37% OS vs BCT with a 20% OS (P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirms that removal of the primary tumor in MBC is associated with improved overall survival. It appears that mastectomy is associated with a significantly improved overall survival.

Use of reoperative sentinel lymph node biopsy in breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Ipsilateral breast recurrence or second primary breast cancer can develop in patients who have undergone breast conservation and sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). This brings into question the necessity of complete axillary lymph node dissection (CALND) versus a second SLNB (remapping). Our objective is to determine the feasibility of a reoperative SLNB. STUDY DESIGN: A review of patients receiving a reoperative SLNB between April 1994 and December 2006 was conducted with IRB approval. Fifty-six patients underwent a second SLNB on the ipsilateral side an average of 42.5 months after their first SLNB. RESULTS: Sentinel lymph nodes were successfully remapped in 45 of 56 (80.4%) patients. Of 45 patients successfully remapped, 36 (80%) were node negative and were spared CALND. There was only 1 patient (2.2%) in whom a sentinel lymph node was identified outside of the ipsilateral axilla. At 26 months mean followup for the second SLNB, there have been no axillary recurrences and 1 death. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that remapping sentinel nodes in patients with ipsilateral recurrence or new primary breast cancer after SLNB achieved success in 80.4% of patients. Overall, 80.0% (36 of 45) of the successfully remapped patients were spared a CALND.