Surgical outcomes in women ≥70 years undergoing mastectomy with and without reconstruction for breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 4% of women age 70 will develop breast cancer during the next ten years. Reconstruction has become a standard option for young women undergoing mastectomy for breast cancer, however may not be offered to older women due to the presence of co-morbidities. There is limited data on the outcomes of mastectomy with reconstruction in patient's ≥ 70. This study examines comorbidities and 30-day complication rates in patients ≥70 undergoing mastectomy for breast cancer. METHODS: The American College of Surgeons National Surgery Quality Improvement Program database was used to examine co-morbidities and 30-day complication rates in breast cancer patients undergoing mastectomy from 2007 to 2012. Patients were grouped based on age and procedure. Complication rates were characterized using descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon rank sum-test. Variable frequencies were compared using Chi-square or Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: 54,821 patients underwent mastectomy. Among patients ≥70, 11,927 did not have reconstruction, 109 had reconstruction. Among patients <70, 40,755 did not have reconstruction and 2040 had reconstruction. Patients without reconstruction had a significantly higher number of co-morbidities compared to those having reconstruction (P = 0.001). The 30-day complication rate for patients without reconstruction was 4.2% in patients ≥70 compared to 4.4% for those <70 (p = 0.4). In patients with reconstruction, the 30-day complication rate was 6.4% in patients ≥70 compared to 5.6% for those <70 (p = 0.7). CONCLUSION: There was no difference in 30-day complication rate between patients ≥70 and < 70 having mastectomy with and without reconstruction. Similar outcomes among women ≥70 years and younger patients undergoing reconstruction may reflect patient selection based on co-morbidities. With appropriate risk stratification, breast reconstruction may be a safe surgical option for women ≥70 year patients undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

Oncologic Outcomes After Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy.

BACKGROUND: Nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) is increasingly used as an alternative to traditional mastectomy because it provides improved aesthetic results. The data on its oncologic safety are limited. The authors' institution has performed NSM during the past 10 years for both oncologic and prophylactic indications. This study aimed to examine oncologic outcomes after NSM for breast cancer. METHODS: The study retrospectively examined all NSM cases managed between July 2007 and July 2013. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the study cohort. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to estimate recurrence-free survival, specifically the 36-month recurrence-free survival proportion. RESULTS: A total of 721 nipple-sparing mastectomies were performed for 413 patients: 45 (10.9 %) to reduce risk and 368 (89.1 %) for breast cancer. In the breast cancer group, 29.8 % of the patients had ductal carcinoma in situ, and 70.2 % had invasive cancer. The mean follow-up time was 32 months (range 0.01-90.2 months). In the breast cancer group, the Kaplan-Meier 3-year recurrence-free survival rate was 93.6 % (95 % confidence interval, 89.9-96.0 %). Eight patients (2.2 %) had locoregional recurrences, including one in the nipple. Nine patients (2.4 %) had distant recurrence, and six patients (1.6 %) had a diagnosis of both local and distant recurrences. CONCLUSIONS: The findings showed a locoregional recurrence rate of 2.2 %, with an overall recurrence rate of 6.3 % for patients undergoing NSM for the treatment of breast cancer. The majority of these recurrences were distant, with one recurrence at the nipple. These results are promising, but a longer follow-up evaluation of this cohort is necessary.