Breast-conserving therapy for centrally located breast cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Surgical Oncology
• Breast Cancer Treatment

Background:

• Limited evidence from small studies suggests oncoplastic breast-conserving therapy (BCT) for centrally located breast cancer (CLBC) is safe and yields good cosmetic results.
• Previous research on oncoplastic BCT for CLBC has been hampered by small sample sizes and retrospective designs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the oncological safety and cosmetic outcomes of BCT in patients with CLBC.
• To compare BCT outcomes for CLBC versus non-CLBC.
• To assess the effectiveness of oncoplastic techniques in improving cosmesis for CLBC.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 1485 breast cancer patients undergoing BCT.
• Comparison of overall and recurrence-free survival between CLBC and non-CLBC groups.
• Description and cosmetic evaluation (Breast Symmetry Index) of 4 oncoplastic techniques for CLBC versus simple lumpectomy.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in 5-year overall, local, or distant recurrence-free survival between CLBC and non-CLBC groups after BCT.
• Oncoplastic BCT resulted in significantly better cosmetic outcomes (Breast Symmetry Index: 22%±6%) compared to simple lumpectomy (44%±12%).

Conclusions:

• Breast-conserving therapy (BCT) is an oncologically safe treatment option for centrally located breast cancer (CLBC).
• Oncoplastic surgical techniques enhance the cosmetic results of BCT for CLBC.