MRI-based 3D-printed surgical guides for breast cancer patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the most accurate technique for evaluating residual tumor after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. However, precise determination of the extent of dispersed residual tumor in the breast following treatment remains a difficult task. We hereby introduce three-dimensional (3D)-printed surgical guides for use in breast cancer patients undergoing breast-conserving surgery after receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy. We prospectively applied the 3D-printed surgical guides on breast cancer patients who underwent partial breast resection after receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Breasts and tumors were modeled in 3D by using pretreatment magnetic resonance images, and surgical guides were created by using a 3D printer to mark the primary tumor. Out of the five patients who participated in the study, all patients had clear resection margins, and two patients experienced complete pathological remission. There were no recurrences during the median follow-up period of 21.9 months. Thus, our newly-developed 3D-printed surgical guides were useful for accurately marking the extent of breast tumor based on pretreatment magnetic resonance images, which is important for designating the extent of surgery needed in patients who have received neoadjuvant chemotherapy.