Residual breast volume a new item to improve cosmetic results in breast cancer: a prospective cohort study

Abstract

Background Breast cancer is the most prevalent neoplasm among women, being the main cause of death in this gender. The main surgical treatments for these patients are breast conserving surgery and mastectomy, each having its main indications, although in recent years the fact of measuring the mammary and tumour volume of the patient, in a pre-operative way, has become increasingly important, to choose the most appropriate treatment in each case in order to obtain a more aesthetic surgical result. Objective Obtention of reference values on residual breast volume, after tumour excision with the correct resection margins, in order to decide the most appropriate surgical technique for each case. Methods The study will be a multi-centric prospective cohort, with a consecutive method of sampling of patients attending the UPM (Mammary Pathology Unit), with breast cancer that meet inclusion criteria. 6 hospitals from Girona will participate in the study. The sample size will be 768 women diagnosed of breast cancer in stage 0-III with breast conserving surgery (BCS) indication. The main variable of this study is the choice between performing a mastectomy with immediate reconstruction or a BCS, after evaluating the relationship between tumour volume and breast volume, using an MRI, to obtain the best cosmetic result, assessed by the patient and the professional. The patients will be classified in two groups depending on the surgical technique: Group 1 will include patients who have decided to have a mastectomy with immediate reconstruction and

Group 2 will include patients who have decided to have a BCS. These patients will be followed- up for 3 years