Mastectomy patterns, but not rates, are changing in the treatment of early breast cancer. Experience of a single European institution on 2315 consecutive patients.

BACKGROUND: Recent literature reports that rates of mastectomy are increasing in early breast cancer. However, data from European institutions are limited and revealed conflicting results. We report on 15-year trends of mastectomy, mastectomy plus immediate reconstruction and contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) at an academic institution. METHODS: We identified women diagnosed with unilateral early breast cancer at stage 0-IIa, with tumour size ≤ 4 cm, between 2002 and 2016. Trends were assessed using the Cochrane-Armitage test. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with receipt of mastectomy plus immediate reconstruction. RESULTS: A total of 2315 patients were identified. Of them, 65.7% underwent breast conserving surgery (BCS), while 34.3% underwent mastectomy as upfront surgery. Two point four per cent also received CPM. Immediate reconstruction was performed in 36.0% of patients receiving mastectomy. There was no change in trends of mastectomy over the 15 years studied (p = 0.69), as well as in trends of patients undergoing CPM (p = 0.44). In contrast, rates of immediate reconstruction rose significantly over the study period (from 12.2% in 2002 to 62.7% in 2016, p < 0.0001). Women were more likely to receive mastectomy plus immediate reconstruction if they were aged 50 years or younger, or had tumours larger than 2 cm, or had non-invasive carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that rates of both mastectomy and CPM in early breast cancer are not increasing, while use of immediate reconstruction is on the rise.

Surgical treatment of chronic multivascular mesenteric ischemia in a patient with antiphospholipid syndrome, abdominal aortic aneurism, and renal cancer: when planning overwhelms complexity.

Chronic mesenteric ischemia is a clinical condition caused by obstructive or occlusive disease of the mesenteric vessels, with potentially lethal consequences. We describe a case of open multiple revascularization in a patient affected by antiphospholipid syndrome and diffuse atherosclerosis, with an abdominal aortic aneurism, a contracted kidney, a renal cancer affecting the contralateral kidney, and as a consequence, a chronic renal failure and hypertension. We revascularized the celiac trunk, the superior and inferior mesenteric arteries, and the right renal artery using saphenous grafts; the aneurism was corrected, and the renal tumor was treated by radiofrequency ablation. Despite the invasiveness and complexity, the surgical strategy adopted allowed to save the patient's life, to treat the chronic mesenteric ischemia and the renal cancer, and to improve the chronic renal insufficiency and hypertension. KEY WORDS: Graft, Mesenteric ischemia, Occlusion, Revascularization.