ASO Author Reflections: Breast Contour-Preserving Procedures as a Means to Address the Esthetic Outcome of Breast Cancer Treatment

Excerpt

The proportion of patients undergoing breast-conserving surgery (BCS) has been used as an outcome parameter for local treatment because BCS is generally considered the preferred local result. Other treatment methods contribute to esthetic outcome as well, either by enabling BCS (e.g., for patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy [NAC]) or by restoring the breast contour in patients undergoing mastectomy through an immediate breast reconstruction (IBR). In addition, the different strategies to maintain the breast shape influence each other. A parameter that comprises the ‘communicating vessels’ for preservation of the breast contour may be more appropriate for evaluation of local esthetic outcome in breast cancer treatment. Breast contour-preserving procedure (BCPP) was defined and explored as a parameter that encompasses the different strategies for preserving the contour of the breast at the time of primary surgery including upfront BCS, BCS after NAC, and mastectomy combined with IBR. …