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Journal of Surgical Oncology Jan 2023Sentinel node biopsy (SLNB) is not routinely recommended for patients undergoing prophylactic mastectomy (PM), yet omission remains a subject of debate among surgeons. A...
BACKGROUND
Sentinel node biopsy (SLNB) is not routinely recommended for patients undergoing prophylactic mastectomy (PM), yet omission remains a subject of debate among surgeons. A modern patient cohort was examined to determine occult malignancy (OM) incidence within PM specimens to reinforce current recommendations.
METHODS
All PM performed over a 5-year period were retrospectively identified, including women with unilateral breast cancer who underwent synchronous or delayed contralateral PM or women with elevated cancer risk who underwent bilateral PM.
RESULTS
The study population included 772 patients (598 CPM, 174 BPM) with a total of 39 OM identified: 17 invasive cancers (14 CPM, 3 BPM) and 22 DCIS (19 CPM, 3 BPM). Of the 86 patients for whom SLNB was selectively performed, 1 micrometastasis was identified. In the CPM cohort, risk of OM increased with age, presence of LCIS of either breast, or presence of a non-BRCA high-penetrance gene mutation, while preoperative magnetic resonance imaging was associated with lower likelihood of OM.
CONCLUSIONS
Given the low incidence of invasive OM in this updated series, routine SLNB is of low value for patients undergoing PM. For patients with indeterminate radiographic findings, discordant preoperative biopsies, LCIS, or non-BRCA high-penetrance gene mutations, selective SLNB implementation could be considered.
Topics: Humans; Female; Mastectomy; Prophylactic Mastectomy; Retrospective Studies; Breast Neoplasms; Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; Neoplasms, Unknown Primary
PubMed: 36069388
DOI: 10.1002/jso.27088 -
International Journal of Women's Health 2016There has been an increasing trend in the use of contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) in the United States among women diagnosed with unilateral breast cancer,... (Review)
Review
There has been an increasing trend in the use of contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) in the United States among women diagnosed with unilateral breast cancer, particularly young women. Approximately one-third of women <40 years old are undergoing CPM in the US. Most studies have shown that the CPM trend is mainly patient-driven, which reflects a changing environment for newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. The most common reason that women choose CPM is based on misperceptions about CPM's effect on survival and overestimation of their contralateral breast cancer (CBC) risk. No prospective studies have shown survival benefit to CPM, and the CBC rate for most women is low at 10 years. Fear of recurrence is also a big driver of CPM decisions. Nonetheless, studies have shown that women are mostly satisfied with undergoing CPM, but complications and subsequent surgeries with reconstruction have been associated with dissatisfaction with CPM. Studies on surgeon's perspectives on CPM are sparse but show that the most common reasons surgeons discuss CPM with patients is because of a suspicious family history or for a patient who is a confirmed BRCA mutation carrier. Studies on the cost-effectiveness of CPM have been conflicting and are highly dependent on patient's quality of life after CPM. Most recent guidelines for CPM are contradictory. Future areas of research include the development of interventions to better inform patients about CPM, modification of the guidelines to form a more consistent statement, longer term studies on CBC risk and CPM's effect on survival, and prospective studies that track the psychosocial effects of CPM on body image and sexuality.
PubMed: 27382334
DOI: 10.2147/IJWH.S82816 -
Annals of Surgical Oncology Nov 2023Contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) is recommended for BRCA mutation carriers; its use in noncarriers relies on patient choice. We characterized differences in...
INTRODUCTION
Contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) is recommended for BRCA mutation carriers; its use in noncarriers relies on patient choice. We characterized differences in satisfaction and well-being after CPM between BRCA carriers and noncarriers.
METHODS
BREAST-Q data were obtained before and after CPM with immediate reconstruction performed at a single institution from 2016 to 2022. Associations between BRCA status and satisfaction with breasts, psychosocial well-being, and sexual well-being were assessed, with adjustment for preoperative scores and relevant confounders.
RESULTS
In total, 149 BRCA carriers and 842 noncarriers were included. Response rates varied over time (preoperative, 56%; 6 months, 78%; 1 year, 51%; 2 years, 52%; 3 years, 59%). BRCA carriers were younger (p < 0.001), with a higher rate of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (p < 0.001). More noncarriers had HR+/HER2- tumors (p < 0.001) and underwent endocrine therapy (p < 0.001). Baseline satisfaction with breasts was higher among BRCA carriers (median [interquartile range] score, 70 [53-82] vs. 58 [48-70]; p = 0.006); psychosocial (p = 0.20) and sexual (p = 0.14) well-being were not significantly different between groups. BRCA carriers had a greater decrease in satisfaction with breasts (p = 0.04) and psychological well-being (p = 0.05) from baseline to 6 months; decrease in sexual well-being (p = 0.38) was not significantly different between groups. On univariate and multivariable analyses, BRCA status was not associated with satisfaction with breasts, sexual well-being, or psychosocial well-being.
CONCLUSIONS
Satisfaction and well-being were similar between BRCA carriers and noncarriers treated with CPM. Relative to noncarriers, BRCA carriers experienced a greater decline in satisfaction with breasts and psychological well-being at 6 months after CPM.
Topics: Humans; Female; Mastectomy; Prophylactic Mastectomy; Breast Neoplasms; Mutation; Personal Satisfaction; Patient Satisfaction
PubMed: 37581851
DOI: 10.1245/s10434-023-14086-y -
International Journal of Gynaecology... Nov 2023
Topics: Female; Humans; Breast Neoplasms; Genes, BRCA2; Mutation; Ovarian Neoplasms; Genetic Testing; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Prophylactic Surgical Procedures; Prophylactic Mastectomy; Adnexal Diseases
PubMed: 37548070
DOI: 10.1002/ijgo.15039 -
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment Aug 2016The purpose of this study is to assess the consequences for breast cancer patients of the trend away from breast conservation in favor of bilateral and contralateral... (Review)
Review
The purpose of this study is to assess the consequences for breast cancer patients of the trend away from breast conservation in favor of bilateral and contralateral mastectomy. The methods are followed from the review of the literature from 1991 to 2015. Breast-conserving surgery and sentinel lymph node biopsy, introduced into mainstream practice in the 1980s and 1990s, respectively, are now the standard of care for early-stage breast cancer. Disruptive change has unexpectedly supervened in the guise of bilateral mastectomy for cancer or prophylaxis and contralateral prophylactic mastectomy. These operations are now being resorted to at a rate which cannot be explained by any of the biological imperatives related to breast cancer and related diseases. This phenomenon extends across the Western world and beyond, driven by patients' cancer concern, a misunderstanding of what surgery can and cannot achieve and preserve, and the current popular media/cultural environment. These developments and their consequences for patients are reviewed. Surgical complications, especially those related to reconstruction, are unusually common. Of equal or greater concern are the physical, esthetic, psychosocial, psychosexual morbidities, and other adverse sequelae of these operations.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Breast Neoplasms; Clinical Decision-Making; Female; Humans; Mastectomy; Mastectomy, Segmental; Middle Aged; Prognosis; Prophylactic Surgical Procedures; Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; Standard of Care; Survival Analysis
PubMed: 27475088
DOI: 10.1007/s10549-016-3909-6 -
Annals of Surgical Oncology Oct 2023The rate of contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) continues to rise despite no improvement in survival, an increased risk of surgical complications, and negative...
BACKGROUND
The rate of contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) continues to rise despite no improvement in survival, an increased risk of surgical complications, and negative effects on quality of life. This study explored the experiences of the partners of women who undergo CPM.
METHODS
This study was part of an investigation into the factors motivating women with early-stage unilateral breast cancer and low genetic risk to opt for contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM). Participating women were asked for permission to invite their partners to take part in interviews. In-depth interviews with partners were conducted using a semi-structured topic guide. A thematic analysis of the data was performed RESULTS: Of 35 partners, all men, 15 agreed to be interviewed. Most perceived their role to be strong and logical. Some hoped their wives would choose a bilateral mastectomy. All felt strongly that the final decision was up to their partners. The partners often framed the decision for CPM as one of life or death. Thus, any aesthetic effects were unimportant by comparison. The male partners had difficulty grasping the physical and emotional changes inherent in mastectomy, which made communicating about sexuality and intimacy very challenging for the couples. In the early recovery period, some noted the stress of managing home life.
CONCLUSIONS
The experiences of the male partners provide insight into how couples navigate complex treatment decision-making, both together and separately. There may be a benefit to including partners in pre- and post-surgical counseling to mitigate miscommunication regarding the expected oncologic and emotional outcomes related to CPM.
Topics: Male; Female; Humans; Mastectomy; Breast Neoplasms; Prophylactic Mastectomy; Quality of Life; Decision Making
PubMed: 37573282
DOI: 10.1245/s10434-023-14022-0 -
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Apr 2020Many breast cancer patients remove their contralateral breast unaffected by cancer, commonly referred to as contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM). CPM has been...
INTRODUCTION
Many breast cancer patients remove their contralateral breast unaffected by cancer, commonly referred to as contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM). CPM has been extensively studied and does not improve survival in patients without deleterious genetic mutation or lobular histology. Despite these limited indications, CPM rates have increased recently. We observed CPM trends in our county safety-net hospital.
METHODS
We performed a retrospective review of women treated for breast cancer who underwent bilateral mastectomy in our institution.
RESULTS
We analyzed 100 CPMs: 51% (n = 51) had bilateral breast MRI before CPM, 54% (n = 54) had genetic testing prior to CPM, and 56% (n = 30) had a deleterious genetic result. Another 12% (n = 12) had lobular histology as the primary determinant for CPM. Of patients without genetic mutation or lobular histology, 13% (n = 13) had suspicious MRI findings in the CPM side that drove the decision for CPM. Forty-seven percent (n = 47) had reconstructive surgery documented.
CONCLUSION
Only 42% (n = 42) of patients who underwent CPM had a documented justifiable medical reason. In the future, physician and patient education may decrease unindicated CPM. We also found that 13% of women without a medical indication chose CPM based on suspicious MRI findings, while only 8% of these MRI findings were malignant.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV
This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.
Topics: Breast; Breast Neoplasms; Female; Humans; Mastectomy; Prophylactic Mastectomy; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 31853610
DOI: 10.1007/s00266-019-01582-4 -
Advances in Experimental Medicine and... 2017Approximately 5-10% of breast cancer is considered to be hereditary. Familial breast cancers exhibit a dominant hereditary pattern, which typically have an early age of... (Review)
Review
Approximately 5-10% of breast cancer is considered to be hereditary. Familial breast cancers exhibit a dominant hereditary pattern, which typically have an early age of onset and are accompanied by symptoms of ovarian cancer, bilateral breast cancer, or male breast cancer. BRCA gene mutation carriers should be regarded as high-risk groups for breast cancer, which necessitates early examination of breast cancer. Studies have built up kinds of predictive models and recommended that female BRCA mutation carriers should receive breast self-test training and take monthly breast self-examination. Familial or hereditary breast cancer family members are high-risk groups, and their risks of breast cancer can be reduced by chemoprevention, including dietary composition adjustment and application of endocrine drugs. In recent years, large-scale clinical trials have shown the important role of chemoprevention in reducing the occurrence of hereditary breast cancer. Prophylactic mastectomy is also suitable for healthy women with high breast cancer risk factors. It can reduce the incidence rate of breast cancer in high-risk women by 90% and decrease the breast cancer mortality rate in medium-risk and high-risk women by 100% and 81%, respectively.
Topics: BRCA1 Protein; BRCA2 Protein; Breast Neoplasms; Chemoprevention; Female; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Genetic Testing; Humans; Mastectomy; Mutation; Ovarian Neoplasms; Ovariectomy; Risk Factors
PubMed: 29282679
DOI: 10.1007/978-981-10-6020-5_3 -
Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive &... Jun 2022Women with an increased hereditary risk of breast cancer can undergo risk-reducing prophylactic mastectomy. However, there is a balance between how much subcutaneous...
BACKGROUND
Women with an increased hereditary risk of breast cancer can undergo risk-reducing prophylactic mastectomy. However, there is a balance between how much subcutaneous tissue should be resected to achieve maximal reduction of glandular tissue, while leaving viable skin flaps.
METHODS
Forty-five women previously operated with prophylactic mastectomy underwent magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) and ultrasound (US) to investigate the correlation between skin flap thickness and residual glandular tissue. Residual glandular tissue was documented as being present or not present, but not quantified, as the amount of residual glandular tissue in many cases was considered too small to make reliable volume quantifications with available tools. Since a mastectomy skin flap thickness of 5 mm is discussed as an oncologically safe thickness in the literature, this was used as a cut-off.
RESULTS
Following prophylactic mastectomy, residual glandular tissue was detected in 39.3% of all breasts and 27.9% of all the breast quadrants examined by MRT, and 44.1% of all breasts and 21.7% of all the breast quadrants examined by US. Residual glandular tissue was detected in 6.9% of the quadrants in skin flaps ≤ 5 mm and in 37.5% of the quadrants in skin flaps > 5 mm (OR 3.07; CI = 1.41-6.67; p = 0.005). Furthermore, residual glandular tissue increased significantly already when the skin flap thickness exceeded 7 mm.
CONCLUSIONS
This study highlights that complete removal of glandular breast tissue during a mastectomy is difficult and suggests that this is an unattainable goal. We demonstrate that residual glandular tissue is significantly higher in skin flaps > 5 mm in comparison to skin flaps ≤ 5 mm, and that residual glandular tissue increases significantly already when the flap thickness exceeds 7 mm.
Topics: Breast Neoplasms; Female; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Mammaplasty; Mastectomy; Prophylactic Mastectomy; Surgical Flaps
PubMed: 35177362
DOI: 10.1016/j.bjps.2022.01.031 -
Journal of Clinical Oncology : Official... Nov 2022Women with unilateral breast cancer are increasingly opting for the removal of not only the involved breast, but also for the removal of the opposite uninvolved breast...
PURPOSE
Women with unilateral breast cancer are increasingly opting for the removal of not only the involved breast, but also for the removal of the opposite uninvolved breast (contralateral prophylactic mastectomy [CPM]), although the risk of contralateral breast cancer (CBC) has decreased in recent years. Models to predict the absolute risk of CBC can help a woman decide whether to undergo CPM. Our objective is to illustrate that a better decision can be made if the patient and doctor also have estimates of the absolute risks of regional and distant recurrences and mortality from non-breast cancer causes.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We based our analyses on two published models for CBC and published information on the hazards of regional and distant recurrences and non-breast cancer mortality. Assuming that CPM eliminates CBC but has no effect on other events, we calculated how much CPM reduces a woman's CBC risk and total risk from all these events for 10 hypothetical women with various subtypes of breast cancer and risk factors.
RESULTS
The risk of CBC and total risk vary greatly, depending on the breast cancer subtype. In some cases, a decision for or against CPM can be based on CBC risk alone, but in others, additional consideration of total risk may cause a woman to decline CPM.
CONCLUSION
There is a potential to develop more informative tools for deciding on CPM. Realizing this potential will require more and better data to validate existing models of absolute CBC risk and to characterize the hazards of regional and distant recurrences and deaths from non-breast cancer causes for women with various subtypes of breast cancers and risk factors.
Topics: Female; Humans; Mastectomy; Prophylactic Mastectomy; Breast Neoplasms; Risk Factors; Decision Making
PubMed: 35759730
DOI: 10.1200/JCO.21.02782