ASO Author Reflections: Patient Interest and Outcomes with Simultaneous Symmetry Procedures in Oncoplastic Breast-Conserving Surgery

Excerpt

Breast-conserving therapy, with equivalent survival outcomes to mastectomy, is the preferred locoregional therapy for patients with early-stage breast cancer. However, preserving the breast shape and appearance may be challenging with the standard lumpectomy.¹ With the development and increased uptake of oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery (OBCS), the cosmetic outcomes and desire for symmetry has become an essential part of the surgical management of breast cancer. Although the routine offering and safety of immediate simultaneous symmetry procedures to patients undergoing OBCS has been previously described,² concerns remain about the impact of this approach on the final symmetry in these patients. Specifically, factors, such as the potential need for surgical margin reexcision and adjuvant radiation therapy could lead to delayed effects on the size and shape of the index breast, which introduces complexity when planning symmetry in the contralateral breast at the time of the index operation.³ …