Breast Cancer Local Recurrence in Patients With and Without Post-Mastectomy Immediate Breast Reconstruction:...

Introduction: Despite rising rates of post-mastectomy immediate breast reconstruction (IBR), there are fears of local recurrence (LR) among patients and physicians. This systematic review and meta-analysis compare long-term LR incidence in patients with mastectomy and IBR (Mast + IBR) to patients with mastectomy alone (Mast - IBR). Methods: Medline, Embase, and Web of Science databases were searched for relevant articles. Articles published between January 2000 and December 2020 were included when LR rates were reported for patients with breast cancer (stage I or II) who underwent mastectomy with or without IBR. A random-effects model was used to calculate pooled odds ratios (ORs) with a 95% confidence interval (CI), adjusted for age, and follow-up time. Results: In total, 1475 unique articles were identified, with 1434 excluded in title abstract screening and 31 excluded in full-text screening. Ten articles, amounting to 15 173 patients (3478 Mast + IBR, 11 695 Mast - IBR), were included. In total, 111 (3.2%) patients in Mast + IBR experienced LR after a mean follow-up time of 72.9 months, while 245 (2.1%) in Mast - IBR experienced LR after a mean follow-up time of 73.3 months. There were no increased odds of LR in Mast + IBR, adjusted for age, and follow-up time (OR 1.17, CI 0.86-1.59, P = 0.59). Conclusion: This meta-analysis supports that IBR is not associated with increased LR odds compared to mastectomy alone. Patients with breast cancer may undergo mastectomy and IBR without concern of increased rates of LR, which contributes to improved quality of life.