Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND: Rates of mastectomy with immediate reconstruction are rising. Skin flap necrosis after this procedure is a recognized complication that can have an impact on cosmetic outcomes and patient satisfaction, and in worst cases can potentially delay adjuvant therapies. Many retrospective studies of this complication have identified variable event rates and inconsistent associated factors. METHODS: A prospective study was designed to capture the rate of skin flap necrosis as well as pre-, intra-, and postoperative variables, with follow-up assessment to 8 weeks postoperatively. Uni- and multivariate analyses were performed for factors associated with skin flap necrosis. RESULTS: Of 606 consecutive procedures, 85 (14 %) had some level of skin flap necrosis: 46 mild (8 %), 6 moderate (1 %), 31 severe (5 %), and 2 uncategorized (0.3 %). Univariate analysis for any necrosis showed smoking, history of breast augmentation, nipple-sparing mastectomy, and time from incision to specimen removal to be significant. In multivariate models, nipple-sparing, time from incision to specimen removal, sharp dissection, and previous breast reduction were significant for any necrosis. Univariate analysis of only moderate or severe necrosis showed body mass index, diabetes, nipple-sparing mastectomy, specimen size, and expander size to be significant. Multivariate analysis showed nipple-sparing mastectomy and specimen size to be significant. Nipple-sparing mastectomy was associated with higher rates of necrosis at every level of severity. CONCLUSIONS: Rates of skin flap necrosis are likely higher than reported in retrospective series. Modifiable technical variables have limited the impact on rates of necrosis. Patients with multiple risk factors should be counseled about the risks, especially if they are contemplating nipple-sparing mastectomy.

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND:We sought to determine if adoption of the Z0011 criteria was associated with removal of more sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs). METHODS:In a retrospective review of a prospective database of breast cancer patients treated at our institution from 2006 to 2013, we identified 5213 eligible patients who elected to undergo breast-conserving surgery; 2372 were treated pre-Z0011 and 2841 post-Z0011. Clinicopathologic factors were collected, and univariate and multivariate models were fit to identify variables associated with number of SLNs removed. RESULTS:Median patient age, 60 years, did not differ between groups. Median tumor size was similar in both groups: 1.1 (0.05-5.0) cm in the pre-Z0011 group and 1.2 (0.1-5.2) cm in the post-Z0011 group. The mean number of SLNs excised in the pre-Z0011 patients was 2.8 compared with 2.9 in post-Z0011 patients (p = 0.01). Three or fewer lymph nodes were removed in 1771 (75 %) pre-Z0011 patients compared with 2006 (71 %) post-Z0011 patients (p = 0.01). Factors associated with the removal of more SLNs on multivariate analysis included adoption of ACOSOG Z0011 criteria (p = 0.03), young age (p ≤ 0.0001), and large tumor size (p = 0.0005). Axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) was performed in 379 (16 %) patients pre-Z0011 compared with 68 (2 %) node-positive post-Z0011 patients (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS:Since the adoption of Z0011 criteria, we found significantly fewer patients undergoing ALND for positive SLNs. We noted a significant, slight shift in the removal of ≥4 SLNs. The Z0011 criteria were not associated with a clinically significant increase in the number of SLNs removed.

Every year, more and more patients fall into rare or extreme categories of breast cancer-young, elderly, pregnant, or male. Contributing factors may be improved risk assessment and screening techniques (especially of dense breast tissue), delayed childbearing, and the aging population. These patients can challenge usual medical decision making because of their unique situation. There might be a concern for the fetus, worry about future fertility, a question of local control in a man, or concern for overdiagnosis or overtreatment in an older patient. Because these populations are seldom included in the large breast cancer trials from which standard treatment recommendations are made, an update on management for young, elderly, pregnant, and male breast cancer patients may be helpful.

BACKGROUND:Bilateral breast cancer (BBC) may present as synchronous (SBC) or metachronous breast cancer (MBC). Optimal surgical management of BBC patients is not well-defined. In this study, we report on histopathology, treatment, and outcomes in BBC patients. METHODS:Upon Institutional Review Board approval, we identified BBC patients diagnosed and treated for invasive breast cancer between 1999 and 2007. Retrospective chart review for demographics, histopathology, treatment, and outcomes was performed, and factors associated with BCS choice were collected. Contraindication to BCS was defined as any of the following one-breast findings: multicentric disease, tumor considered too large for BCS, and a patient without a nominal breast size for acceptable cosmetic results. McNemar's test for matched pairs (binary variables) or the paired t test (continuous variables) were used to examine if a pathologic characteristic differed within a cancer pair. Kaplan-Meier methods estimated overall survival (OS). RESULTS:A total of 203 BBC patients (119 SBC, 84 MBC) comprised our study group. Histopathologic characteristics of the first and second cancers diagnosed in both the SBC and MBC patients were very similar in histologic type and molecular profiles. Overall, 57% of MBC patients underwent breast-conserving surgery (BCS) at initial diagnosis versus 34% of patients with SBC. BCS contraindications were similar in both groups: 16 (34%) MBC patients and 28 (36%) SBC patients. Kaplan-Meier OS estimates at 5 and 10 years were 86 and 78% for MBC, and 87 and 77% for SBC patients, respectively. CONCLUSIONS:OS was excellent for both the MBC and SBC groups. Contraindications to BCS did not differ between groups. However, patients with SBC were less likely to undergo BCS compared with patients with MBC at the time of initial diagnosis.

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy in women in the United States and is second only to lung cancer as a cause of cancer death. To assist women who are at increased risk of developing breast cancer and their physicians in the application of individualized strategies to reduce breast cancer risk, NCCN has developed these guidelines for breast cancer risk reduction.

Appropriate use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in elderly breast cancer (BC) patients remains unclear; we sought to identify the indications and implications of MRI use in our elderly BC population. Women 70 years of age or older at first BC diagnosis with an MRI performed at our institution either perioperatively or in follow-up were included from a prospectively maintained database from 2000 to 2010. Univariate logistic regression was used to test associations with disease identified by MRI only (additional ipsilateral, contralateral, or new cancer) following perioperative MRI. 305 BCs were imaged in 286 patients. 133 were imaged with MRI in the perioperative setting alone, 88 had only follow-up MRIs after BC treatment, and 65 had both. Indications for perioperative MRI include: extent of disease evaluation (181; 91%); occult primary (10; 5%); high-risk screening (5; 3%); and abnormal physical exam with negative conventional imaging (2; 1%). Disease identified by MRI only for occult primary cases was 4/10 (40%; 95% confidence interval: 12.2-73.8%) and 14/181 (7.7%; 95% confidence interval: 4.3-12.6%) for perioperative MRIs performed for extent of disease evaluation. Analysis of imaging and tumor characteristics failed to find significant predictors of disease identified by MRI only. A total of 369 post-treatment follow-up MRIs were performed in 148 patients with a median of 2 MRIs per patient (range 1-8), with seven cases of disease identified by MRI only (1.9%; 95% confidence interval: 0.8-3.9%). MRI had the greatest benefit in women presenting with an occult primary cancer and minimal additional benefit in elderly patients with BC undergoing MRI imaging for extent of disease evaluation or in post-treatment surveillance.

We report a case of a woman with recurrent axillary fungating breast cancer who developed catastrophic hemorrhage from tumor erosion of her axillary artery. This was treated successfully with endovascular placement of a covered arterial stent. We discuss the suitability of endovascular therapy for patients with advanced malignancy given its lower morbidity in this population with decreased life expectancy.

BACKGROUND:This study was designed to describe patient, disease, and treatment characteristics of women diagnosed with breast cancer at the Breast Examination Center of Harlem (BECH) and to determine whether these characteristics have changed over time. METHODS:Retrospective chart review of women diagnosed with breast cancer at BECH from 2000 to 2008 was performed. Comparisons were made to data from an earlier study period (1995-2000). RESULTS:From 2000 to 2008, 339 women were diagnosed with breast cancer following attendance at BECH-55 % were black, 39 % Hispanic, 5 % of other race/ethnicity; 52 % had no health insurance. Hispanic patients were significantly more likely to have no health insurance compared with black patients (p = 0.0091); 29 % of patients had preinvasive disease and 36.5 % had stage I disease. Almost 40 % of the entire group was followed for <1 year. Five-year overall survival for the entire group was 83 % (95 % CI, 75-89 %) and 79 % for 188 Black women (95 % CI, 68-87 %). Compared with the earlier study period (1995-2000), fewer patients presented with palpable masses (45.4 vs. 67 %), and more had either stage 0 or stage I disease (65.6 vs. 46 %). CONCLUSIONS:Women diagnosed with breast cancer at BECH are predominantly Black and Hispanic, and most of these patients do not have health insurance. An increasing proportion of women diagnosed with breast cancer are presenting with nonpalpable, early-stage disease. Despite improved access to breast cancer screening, early stage at diagnosis, and access to appropriate management, these ethnic minorities continue to have poor outcomes and are poorly compliant with follow-up.