Breast cancer surgery in COVID19 outbreak: the role of therapeutic mammoplasty

ABSTRACT

Goals There is no doubt, that Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 and it’s associated disease (COVID19) has been quite challenging not only for all Health Systems worldwide, but also for all medical professionals, particularly those dealing with cancer patients. There has been a rearrangement of healthcare resources, so that the health systems to be able to deal with the high volume of covid19 patients and the required facilities for their treatment. As a result, routine treatment pathways have been modified. Surgical management of breast cancer patients could not be exempted from treatment pathway modification in the covid19 outbreak era. Main goal is to reduce hospital stay and minimizing the risk for complications and consequently hospital visits, facilitating at the same time oncologic efficiency. Aim of this study is apart from comparing breast surgery cases in two consecutive years, to evaluate the efficacy of therapeutic mammoplasty in breast cancer patients in Covid Outbreak era. Methods: We compared all the breast cases done by a Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon during covid19 outbreak from March until June in 2020 to the cases done during the same period of time in 2019. Parametres like tumor characteristics, hospital stay, complications, oncologic efficacy, and cosmetic outcome were evaluated. Results: Asseen in theTable1, all breast cases duringCovid19outbreak were cancer cases, without any reconstruction or surgery for benign breast diseases. The number of cases in total was slightly smaller during the outbreak, compared to ones in 2019. As anticipated, there was no reconstruction or benign cases surgery during Covid19 in compliance with Association of Breast Surgery recommendations and regional/national guidelines during Covid19 outbreak. In terms of Wide Local Excisions all of our cases underwent therapeutic mammoplasties, mainly with Modified Round Block technique. (Table Presented) Conclusion(s) In view of Covid19 outbreak, surgical approach to breast cancer patients should ensure oncologic efficiency and minimize exposure to hospital environment. As our data demonstrate, therapeutic mammoplasty is a safe and oncologically efficient approach for breast cancer patients, with minimum complication rates and high satisfaction rates in terms of cosmesis. Therefore, even in challenging pandemic times we are, it can be safely performed by trained Oncoplastic Surgeons. Conflict of Interest No significant relationships.