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[Re-irradiation after salvage mastectomy for local recurrence after a conservative treatment: a retrospective analysis of twenty patients (Nancy: 1988-2001)].

PURPOSE: To retrospectively assess the efficacy of post-mastectomy re-irradiation for local relapse of breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty patients, initially treated by conservative surgery and radiotherapy (50 Gy in 25 fractions over 5 weeks) were treated from 1998 to 2001 for a local relapse by salvage mastectomy and re-irradiation (either electron or photon beams). Mean age was 53 years (31-71). Reasons for re-irradiation were that the local relapses were inflammatory (4 pts), multifocal (5 pts), cutaneous (5 pts), involved the nipple (3 pts) or because the surgical margins (either muscle or skin) were involved (3 pts). The median dose of re-irradiation was 45 Gy (33-65) in 15 fractions over 33 days. Mean follow-up was 48 months (5-97). RESULTS: Fifteen patients remained free of a second local recurrence and 10 were still alive, without metastasis. Neither the dose of re-irradiation nor the irradiated surfaces were prognostic factors of local control (P = 0.877 and P = 0.424). Five patients developed radiation-induced pneumonitis without functional respiratory impairment. The incidence of pneumonitis seemed to be related to the biological dose of re-irradiation (P = 0.037). Other late complications occurred such as pigmentation changes (12 pts), telangiectasia (8 pts), chondritis (2 pts), parietal fibrosis (7 pts), rib fractures (4 pts), severe pain (11 pts) and lymphedema (2 pts). The increase in biological equivalent dose was highly statistically linked with the occurrence of disabling pain (P = 0.0123). CONCLUSION: Parietal re-irradiation achieves good and lasting local control with an acceptable rate of acute complications but with a risk of disabling late sequelae such as severe pain.

Adult↗

Radiological appearance of postirradiation sarcoma of the chest wall after mastectomy.

Radiotherapy-induced sarcoma arising from the chest wall after mastectomy and irradiation is uncommon but deserves special attention due to the increasing incidence of this soft-tissue sarcoma, contributed by the early detection and employment of radiotherapy in the treatment of breast carcinoma. We report the computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of two patients who developed cutaneous high-grade sarcoma after mastectomy and irradiation for primary breast tumours more than 5 years ago.

Aged↗

Post-mastectomy radiotherapy after immediate autologous breast reconstruction in primary treatment of breast cancers.

AIM: To assess the clinical outcome of breast cancer patients with immediate autologous breast reconstruction and post-mastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) as primary treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-five women with breast cancer treated with immediate autologous breast reconstruction and post-mastectomy radiotherapy as primary treatment between 1995 and 2001 in Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital of Hong Kong were retrospectively studied. Radiation doses of 50 Gy (in 2 Gy daily fraction) were given to the reconstructed breasts, except one who was given 45 Gy (in 1.8 Gy daily fraction). Nine women (36%) were treated without bolus, whereas the other 16 women (64%) were treated with 0.5 cm thick bolus on alternate days. The main outcome measures include local control, treatment complications and cosmetic outcome. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 3.7 years (range: 1.0-6.6 years). Two women (8%), who were treated without bolus, developed chest wall recurrences. The overall 5-year, actuarial, local failure-free rate and disease-specific survival rate were 89.8% and 77.9%, respectively. Apart from mild acute skin reactions, no significant acute radiotherapy side-effects were observed. No flap necrosis or flap loss was seen. The cosmesis of the reconstructed breasts were rated as good to excellent in 85% of the surviving patients. There was no observed adverse effect on cosmesis by adding bolus on alternate days. CONCLUSION: PMRT after immediate autologous tissue-flap breast reconstruction is well tolerated and is not associated with increased incidence of complications. Adding 0.5 cm bolus on alternate days might improve local control without causing adverse cosmetic effect. The concern of adverse effects of radiotherapy should not exclude the choice of immediate breast reconstruction in suitable patients.

Adult↗

Locoregional recurrence risks in elderly breast cancer patients treated with mastectomy without adjuvant radiotherapy.

This study examined tumour and treatment characteristics in elderly women treated with mastectomy without radiotherapy and compared their outcomes to younger counterparts. Data were analysed for 2362 women aged 50 years and older referred to the British Columbia Cancer Agency, Canada between 1989 and 1997. The women had invasive T1-4, N0-N3, M0 breast cancer treated with mastectomy without adjuvant radiotherapy. Clinical characteristics and patient outcomes were compared between two age cohorts: 50-69 (n = 1423) and 70+ years (n = 939). Median follow-up was 8.3 years. Tumours > 5 cm were present in 5% of women aged 50-69 and 3.5% of women aged 70+, respectively. The distribution of nodal stage was similar in the two age cohorts but older women were more likely to have fewer axillary nodes removed (P = 0.009). Fewer women aged 70+ had grade III histology (P = 0.002) and estrogen receptor (ER)-negative status (P < 0.001). The rates of systemic therapy use were comparable in the two age groups. With tumours > 5 cm, locoregional recurrence (LRR) were 13.7% and 30.0% in women aged 50-69 and 70+, respectively. With 1-3 positive nodes (N+), LRR were 14.8% and 13.0% in women aged 50-69 and 70+. In the presence of 4 N+, LRR were 16.8% and 30.8% in women aged 50-69 and 70+. On multivariate analysis, age was not significantly associated with LRR (P = 0.62). Independent prognostic factors for LRR were grade III histology, lymphovascular invasion and positive nodal status. This study suggests that despite more favourable tumour characteristics and comparable systemic therapy use, women aged 70+ years have similar or higher postmastectomy LRR risks compared to younger women. Chronologic age alone should not preclude these women from consideration of adjuvant radiotherapy.

Age Distribution↗

Prognostic significance of axillary node and infraclavicular lymph node status after mastectomy.

AIMS: The American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system for breast carcinomas has been revised. According to this revised staging system, metastasis to infraclavicular lymph nodes and number of positive axillary nodes have prognostic significance and a new stage, stage IIIC, has been introduced. The aim of this study is to investigate the association of positive axillary nodes by level and number with survival and stage migration between the old and the new stages in a large series of mastectomy patients. METHODS: Data from 1277 consecutive breast cancer patients treated by mastectomy were studied, retrospectively. Prognostic value of number of positive axillary nodes and entirely invasion of apex axillary nodes were analysed. Survival curves were generated by Kaplan-Meier method, and multivariate analysis was performed by Cox proportional hazard model. RESULTS: Five-year survival rates for metastasis to axillary level III and for stage IIIC breast cancer were 35.4 and 38.2%, respectively. Metastases to apex axillary nodes, 4-9 and 10 or more positive lymph nodes were found to be adverse and independent prognostic factors for survival in lymph node positive patients. CONCLUSION: Invasion of infraclavicular nodes and 4-9 and > or =10 positive axillary lymph nodes were independent predictors for survival in node positive breast carcinomas in this series. Patients with the new stage IIIC had the worst survival among breast cancer patients.

Adult↗

A randomised study of axillary drainage and pectoral fascia preservation after mastectomy for breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: To reduce the risk of seroma after modified radical mastectomy in breast cancer patients, the use of suction axillary drainage is a standard procedure. The optimal time to remove the drain is not established. Whether the removal or preservation of the pectoral fascia influences the risk of seroma formation or loco-regional recurrence rate remains unclear. METHOD: The trial included 247 patients with breast cancer who underwent modified radical mastectomy in five Swedish hospitals 1993-1997. The median follow-up time was 6 years. One hundred and twenty-two and 125 patients, respectively, were randomised between removal versus preservation of the pectoral fascia. Of these 247 patients a total of 198 patients were also randomised to have the drain removed 24 h postoperatively or to keep the drain in until discharge had decreased to less than 40 ml/24 h. RESULTS: Early removal of the axillary drain was associated with significantly more seromas and a shorter average postoperative hospital stay. There were no differences between the two groups regarding the rate of wound infections and/or hematoma formation. Removal or preservation of the pectoral fascia did not influence the formation of seroma or the amount of peroperative bleeding. A trend towards an increased risk for chest wall recurrence was observed in patients with preserved pectoral fascia (16/125 compared with 8/122; hazard ratio=2.0, 95% confidence interval=0.9-4.7). CONCLUSION: Early removal of axillary drain shortened the duration of hospital stay without any increase in wound complications. However, it yielded a significantly higher incidence of seroma. Seroma formation and the chest wall recurrence rate was not significantly influenced by the preservation of the pectoral fascia or not.

Aged↗

A 7 year experience with immediate breast reconstruction after skin sparing mastectomy for cancer.

Skin sparing mastectomy (SSM) is a procedure that has gained popularity for patients who elect to have a mastectomy as the treatment for carcinoma of the breast. Reconstruction of the breast after SSM yields the best aesthetic results since it preserves most of the skin envelope and the inframammary fold. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the oncologic safety and aesthetic results for SSM and immediate breast reconstruction. One hundred and five patients treated between April 1997 and December 2004 were reviewed. The mean age of the patients was 40 years. The mean follow up was for 48 months, considered from the time of SSM and reconstruction. Reconstructive techniques included pedicled transverse rectus abdominis muscle (TRAM) flap (n: 70 patients), tissue expanders and implants (n: 29 patients), latissimus dorsi flaps and implants (n: 6 patients). Aesthetic results were judged by an independent plastic surgeon and by the patient as excellent, good, fair or poor. The findings of this study demonstrate that SSM and immediate breast reconstruction can be safely performed. Detection and treatment of recurrences were not inhibited by the reconstructions. In this experience the best results were seen after TRAM flap reconstructions. The general level of satisfaction expressed by the patient was correlated with a good appearance of the reconstructed breast and the physical comfort.

Adult↗

T3 disease at presentation or pathologic involvement of four or more lymph nodes predict for locoregional recurrence in stage II breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and mastectomy without radiotherapy.

PURPOSE: To help define the clinical and pathologic predictors of locoregional recurrence (LRR) in breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and mastectomy without radiotherapy for early-stage disease. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We retrospectively reviewed the outcomes of all 132 patients with Stage I or II breast cancer treated in prospective institutional trials with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and mastectomy without radiotherapy between 1974 and 2001. The clinical stage (American Joint Committee on Cancer 1988) at diagnosis was I in 5%, IIA in 46%, and IIB in 49% of patients. The median age at diagnosis was 49 years. All patients were treated with either a doxorubicin-based neoadjuvant regimen or single-agent paclitaxel. The total LRR rates were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method, and comparisons were made with two-sided log-rank tests. The median follow-up was 46 months. RESULTS: The actuarial LRR rate at both 5 and 10 years was 10%. Factors that correlated positively with LRR included clinical Stage T3N0 (p = 0.0057), four or more positive lymph nodes at surgery (p = 0.0001), age < or =40 years at diagnosis (p = 0.0001), and no use of tamoxifen. In the patients who did not receive tamoxifen, estrogen receptor-positive disease correlated positively with LRR (p = 0.0067). The 5-year LRR rate for the 42 patients with clinical Stage T1 or T2 disease and one to three positive lymph nodes at surgery was 5% (only two events). CONCLUSIONS: For patients with clinical Stage II breast cancer, T3 primary disease, four or more positive lymph nodes after chemotherapy, and age < or =40 years old predicted for LRR. For most patients with clinical T1 or T2 disease and one to three positive lymph nodes, the 5-year risk for LRR was low, and the routine inclusion of postmastectomy radiotherapy does not appear to be justified.

Adult↗

Her2/neu-positive disease does not increase risk of locoregional recurrence for patients treated with neoadjuvant doxorubicin-based chemotherapy, mastectomy, and radiotherapy.

PURPOSE: Preclinical data suggest that overexpression of Her2/neu confers cellular radioresistance. We retrospectively studied whether Her2/neu-positive disease was associated with locoregional recurrence (LRR) after postmastectomy radiotherapy (RT) for breast cancer. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Data from 337 patients treated in four institutional prospective clinical trials neoadjuvant doxorubicin-based chemotherapy, mastectomy, and RT were reviewed. The trials were conducted between 1989 and 2000. Of the 337 patients, 108 (32%) had tumors that were tested for Her2/neu, with positivity defined by 3+ immunohistochemistry staining or gene amplification detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization. RT was delivered to the chest wall and draining lymphatics (median dose, 50 Gy) followed by a chest wall boost (median dose, 10 Gy). RESULTS: Thirty-two patients had Her2/neu-positive disease and 76 patients had Her2/neu-negative disease. The Her2/neu-positive tumors were associated with a greater rate of estrogen receptor-negative disease (p = 0.03), the presence of supraclavicular disease at diagnosis (p = 0.027), and a greater number of positive lymph nodes after chemotherapy (p = 0.026). Despite these adverse features, the actuarial overall LRR rate was roughly equivalent for the patients with Her2/neu-positive tumors vs. those with Her2/neu-negative tumors (5-year rate 17.5% vs. 13.9%, respectively; 10-year rate 17.5% vs. 18.9%, respectively; p = 0.757). On Cox regression analysis of LRR adjusted for N stage and estrogen receptor status, the hazard ratio for Her2/neu positivity was 0.89 (95% confidence interval, 0.31-2.59; p = 0.83). CONCLUSION: Her2/neu overexpression does not appear to predispose to LRR after neoadjuvant doxorubicin-based chemotherapy, mastectomy, and RT.

Adult↗

Predictors of locoregional recurrence in patients with locally advanced breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, mastectomy, and radiotherapy.

PURPOSE: To identify the clinical and pathologic factors predictive of locoregional recurrence (LRR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, mastectomy, and radiotherapy. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We retrospectively reviewed the hospital records of 542 patients treated on six consecutive institutional prospective trials using neoadjuvant chemotherapy and postmastectomy radiotherapy. The clinical stage (American Joint Committee on Cancer, 1988) was Stage II in 17%, Stage IIIA in 30%, Stage IIIB in 43%, and Stage IV (ipsilateral supraclavicular disease) in 10%. All LRRs were considered events, irrespective of the timing to distant metastases. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 70 months. The 5-year and 10-year actuarial LRR rate was 9% and 11%, respectively. The clinical factors associated with LRR included combined clinical stage, clinical T stage, ipsilateral supraclavicular nodal disease, chemotherapy response, physical examination size after chemotherapy, and no tamoxifen use (p < or = 0.04 for all factors). The pathologic predictors of LRR included the number of positive nodes, dissection of <10 nodes, multifocal/multicentric disease, lymphovascular space invasion, extracapsular extension, skin/nipple involvement, and estrogen receptor-negative disease (p <or = 0.05 for all factors). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that five factors independently predicted for LRR: skin/nipple involvement, supraclavicular nodal disease, no tamoxifen use, extracapsular extension, and estrogen receptor-negative disease (hazard ratio, 2.1-2.8; p < or = 0.02 for all factors). The 10-year LRR rate was only 4% for patients with one or none of these five independent factors, 8% for those with two factors, and 28% for those with three or more factors (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Although the long-term rate of LRR after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, mastectomy, and radiotherapy is low, we identified a number of factors that correlated independently with greater rates of LRR. Patients with three or more of these factors may benefit from research protocols investigating alternative treatment strategies.

Adult↗

Quantitative molecular diagnosis of axillary drainage fluid for prediction of locoregional failure in patients with one to three positive axillary nodes after mastectomy without adjuvant radiotherapy.

PURPOSE: A quantitative multiple-marker reverse transcriptase (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for sensitive detection of cancer cells in axillary drainage fluid was developed to examine whether the presence of cancer cells in axillary drainage fluid can be used as a predictor of locoregional recurrence (LRR) in patients with breast cancer who had T1/2 primary tumors and one to three positive axillary lymph nodes treated with modified radical mastectomy without adjuvant radiotherapy. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Axillary drainage fluid was collected from 126 patients with invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast who were treated with modified radical mastectomy and were found to have one to three positive axillary nodes. Cancer cells in axillary drainage fluid were detected by RT-PCR assay using primers specific for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and cytokeratin-19 (CK-19) together with numerous clinicopathologic and treatment-related factors and were analyzed for their impact on LRR. RESULTS: A total of 38 patients suffered LRR during follow-up and the multimarker RT-PCR assays for CEA and CK-19 in the axillary drainage fluid both were positive in 34 patients (27.0%), of which 29 patients had LRR. In univariate analysis, the 5-year LRR-free survival showed higher rates in patients with PCR-negative findings in axillary drainage fluid (p<0.0001), age>or=40 years old (p<0.0001), tumor size<2.5 cm (p<0.0001), negative lymph-vascular space invasion (p=0.026), and T1 status (<0.0001); in multivariate analysis, PCR-positive findings together with age and tumor size were found to be independent predictors of LRR (all p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Multiplex RT-PCR assay for CEA and CK-19 was highly sensitive for detection and might be useful for prediction of LRR in such subgroup breast cancer patients.

Adult↗

Effect of distance to radiation treatment facility on use of radiation therapy after mastectomy in elderly women.

PURPOSE: We sought to study the effect of distance to the nearest radiation treatment facility on the use of postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) in elderly women. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Using data from the linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare (SEER-Medicare) database, we analyzed 19,787 women with Stage I or II breast cancer who received mastectomy as definitive surgery during 1991 to 1999. Multivariable logistic regression was used to investigate the association of distance with receipt of PMRT after adjusting for clinical and sociodemographic factors. RESULTS: Overall 2,075 patients (10.5%) treated with mastectomy received PMRT. In addition to cancer and patient characteristics, in our primary analysis, increasing distance to the nearest radiation treatment facility was independently associated with a decreased likelihood of receiving PMRT (OR = 0.996 per additional mile, p = 0.01). Secondary analyses revealed that the decline in PMRT use appeared at distances of more than 25 miles and was statistically significant for those patients living more than 75 miles from the nearest radiation facility (odds of receiving PMRT of 0.58 [95% CI = 0.34-0.99] vs. living within 25 miles of such a facility). The effect of distance on PMRT appeared to be more pronounced with increasing patient age (>75 years). Variation in the effect of distance on radiation use between regions of the country and nodal status was also identified. CONCLUSIONS: Oncologists must be cognizant of the potential barrier to quality care that is posed by travel distance, especially for elderly patients; and policy makers should consider this fact in resource allocation decisions about radiation treatment centers.

Aged↗

Lymphovascular invasion is associated with reduced locoregional control and survival in women with node-negative breast cancer treated with mastectomy and systemic therapy.

BACKGROUND: The impact of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) on postmastectomy locoregional relapse (LRR) and its use in guiding locoregional therapy in node-negative breast cancer are unclear. This study evaluates the association of LVI with relapse and survival in a cohort of women with early-stage breast cancer. STUDY DESIGN: The study cohort comprised 763 women with pT1-2, pN0 breast cancer referred from 1989 to 1999 and treated with mastectomy and adjuvant systemic therapy without radiotherapy. Kaplan-Meier LRR, distant relapse, and overall survival rates at 7 years were compared between patients with and without LVI. Cox regression analyses were performed to evaluate the prognostic significance of LVI for relapse and survival. RESULTS: Median followup was 7.0 years (range 0.34 to 14.9 years). LVI was present in 210 (27.5%) patients. In log-rank comparisons of Kaplan-Meier curves stratified by LVI status, LVI-positive disease was associated with significantly higher risks of LRR (p = 0.006), distant relapse (p = 0.04), and lower overall survival (p = 0.02). In the multivariable Cox regression analysis, LVI was significantly associated with LRR (relative risk [RR] = 2.32; 95% CI, 1.26-4.27; p = 0.007), distance relapse (RR = 1.53; 95% CI, 1.00-2.35; p = 0.05), and overall survival (RR = 1.46; 95% CI, 1.04-2.07; p = 0.03). In patients with one of the following characteristics: age younger than 50 years, premenopausal status, grade III histology, or estrogen receptor-negative disease, 7-year LRR risks increased threefold from 3% to 5% when LVI was absent, to 15% to 20% in the presence of LVI. CONCLUSIONS: LVI is an adverse prognostic factor for relapse and survival in node-negative patients treated with mastectomy and systemic therapy. LVI, in combination with age older than 50 years, premenopausal status, grade III histology, or estrogen receptor-negative disease, identified patient subsets with 7-year LRR risks of approximately 15% to 20%. Prospective research is required to define the role of adjuvant radiotherapy in these patients.

Adult↗

Preemptive analgesia with bupivacaine for segmental mastectomy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Preemptive analgesia is the concept of providing analgesia before surgical incision, resulting in less postoperative pain. The purpose of this study is to determine if preemptive and/or postoperative local anesthetic infiltration of bupivacaine in patients undergoing segmental mastectomy results in less postoperative pain compared with patients receiving placebo. METHODS: In this prospective, double-blinded study, 120 patients were randomized into 4 groups: group 1, preincisional (10 mL) and postoperative (10 mL) wound infiltration of 0.5% bupivicaine, (+Pre+Post); group 2, preincisional bupivacaine (10 mL) and postoperative infiltration (10 mL) of placebo (normal saline solution), (+Pre-Post); group 3, preincisional placebo (10 mL) and postoperative bupivacaine (10 mL), (-Pre+Post); or group 4, preincisional (10 mL) and postoperative infiltration of placebo (10 mL), (-Pre-Post). All patients received a standardized laryngeal mask general anesthetic. Data were recorded at the following time intervals: preoperative admission, postanesthesia care unit (PACU) admission, PACU stay, stepdown-unit admission, stepdown-unit stay, hospital discharge, and 24 hours post operation. RESULTS: No difference was noted with respect to preoperative pain visual analog scale (VAS, 0-100 mm), surgical duration, PACU stay time, stepdown-unit stay time, incidence of postoperative nausea, or treatment for nausea in all measured time periods. The placebo group (group 4) had significantly higher mean pain VAS scores during the early postoperative period (PACU admission and PACU stay) compared to the other groups (PACU admission: group 1 = 2 +/- 8, group 2 = 4 +/- 11, group 3 = 3 +/- 15, group 4 = 17 +/- 21, P < .01; PACU stay: group 1 = 6 +/- 13, group 2 = 6 +/- 10, group 3 = 10 +/- 21, group 4 = 20 +/- 18, P < .01). Likewise, the number of patients who reported pain (pain frequency) was significantly higher in group 4 (placebo) compared with all other groups at PACU admission, PACU stay, stepdown-unit admission, and stepdown-unit stay (P < or = .01). CONCLUSION: Preincisional and/or postoperative wound bupivacaine infiltration lacks preemptive analgesic effects for segmental mastectomy.

Analgesics↗

Subcutaneous mastectomy for juvenile hypertrophy of the breast: report of a case.

Massive juvenile hypertrophy of the breast in a 12-year-old girl was successfully treated with a primary subcutaneous mastectomy and secondary placement of gel-filled silastic implants. The patient weighed 114 pounds and her breasts weighed 15 1/2 pounds. Small foci of regrowth occurred at the lateral ends of the mastectomy incisions only; a total of five of these foci were removed. Six years later no evidence of further residual breast tissue was noted and the breasts have been satisfactorily reconstructed.

Breast↗

Touch sensibility in the breast after subcutaneous mastectomy and immediate reconstruction with a prosthesis.

Touch sensibility was assessed with von Frey's monofilaments in the breasts of 10 healthy women (controls) and of 80 women with breast cancer who at least 1 year previously had undergone subcutaneous mastectomy and immediate reconstruction with a prosthesis. Touch thresholds were measured at nine positions on each breast. Low threshold values (< 3.2 mN) and good reproducibility were found in the controls. In the patients' surgically treated breasts normal (< 3.2 mN) or subnormal (< 20 mN) median threshold values were found outside the areola. Higher median values were noted on the areola and nipple; on the nipple, however, one third of the patients had normal sensibility while 14% lacked sensibility. The only factors found to influence the results were simultaneous subcutaneous reduction mammaplasty (lower touch thresholds) and the localisation of the incision (slightly lower thresholds for lazy-S than inframammary incision). These results confirm the clinical impression that touch sensibility is substantially retained after subcutaneous mastectomy and immediate reconstruction with a prosthesis.

Aged↗

Partial mastectomy: pathologic findings and prognosis.

In an attempt to identify patients best suited for limited surgery as well as those at risk for recurrence and increased mortality, the authors reviewed the clinical and pathologic features of 130 patients who had undergone partial mastectomy as primary treatment for breast cancer (adjuvant therapy was administered only after disease recurrence). Patients were followed up for 57 to 128 months (mean, 85 months). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed for the entire group and repeated for the large subgroup of patients with infiltrating ductal cancer, not otherwise specified. Three features were independently significant in correlating with poor survival and/or tumor recurrence: lymph node metastasis, mitotic rate, and nuclear atypia. Combinations of these factors further separated survivors from non-survivors. These prognostically significant pathologic features may be helpful in both selecting patients for partial mastectomy and identifying those who may require adjuvant therapy.

Adult↗

Lymph-node biopsy during simple mastectomy.

The distribution of pectoral (external mammary) nodes identified during the operation and removed with the axillary tail of the breast was studied in 45 patients treated by simple (total) mastectomy. Up to 13 nodes may lie within the axillary tail, and these are continuous with the pectoral nodes. Lymph-nodes were identified in 90 percent of patients treated by simple (total) mastectomy without dissection of the axilla.

Axilla↗