Breast Reconstruction With Postmastectomy Radiation: Choices and Tradeoffs

The Oncology Grand Rounds series is designed to place original reports published in the Journal into clinical context. A case presentation is followed by a description of diagnostic and management challenges, a review of the relevant literature, and a summary of the authors' suggested management approaches. The goal of this series is to help readers better understand how to apply the results of key studies, including those published in Journal of Clinical Oncology, to patients seen in their own clinical practice. A 45-year-old premenopausal woman presented with multifocal cancer in the right breast, with lesions at 1:00 and 4:00, the largest measuring approximately 3 cm on exam, and multiple palpable right axillary lymph nodes. A core biopsy confirmed invasive ductal carcinoma, grade 2 of 3, that was estrogen receptor positive, progesterone receptor positive, and HER2 negative. Fine needle aspiration of a right axillary node confirmed metastatic carcinoma. A positron emission tomography (PET)/ computed tomography done before starting chemotherapy demonstrated an absence of metastatic disease with expected avidity in two separate breast masses and multiple conglomerated 1-2 cm level I and II axillary lymph nodes. She received neoadjuvant chemotherapy with doxorubicin plus cyclophosphamide, followed by paclitaxel, and had a complete clinical response with resolution of the breast and axillary masses on exam. A repeat PET/computed tomography demonstrated reduced size of the breast and axillary disease, and no significant residual PET avidity. Her breast surgeon recommended a right mastectomy with axillary node dissection. As part of her multidisciplinary treatment plan, she consulted with two plastic surgeons to discuss reconstruction options. Plastic Surgeon A advised placement of an implant at the time of mastectomy while Surgeon B contrasted the pros and cons of an autologous transverse rectus abdominis muscle flap reconstruction with an implant based reconstruction. Surgeon B believed that autologous reconstruction would yield the best long-term cosmetic outcome. Before making her surgery decision, the patient consulted with a radiation oncologist to discuss the effect radiation may have on her reconstruction outcome.