Local recurrent mammary carcinoma failing multimodality therapy. A solution

Malignant Chest Wall Tumors: Complex Defects and Their Management-A Review of 181 Cases

BACKGROUND

Chest wall tumors are a heterogeneous group of tumors that are managed by surgeons from diverse specialties. Due to their rarity, there is no consensus on their diagnosis and management.

MATERIALS

This retrospective, descriptive analysis includes patients with malignant chest wall tumors undergoing chest wall resection. Tumors were classified as primary, secondary, and metastatic tumors. The analysis includes clinicopathological characteristics, resection-reconstruction profile, and relapse patterns.

RESULTS

A total of 181 patients underwent chest wall resection between 1999 and 2020. In primary tumors (69%), the majority were soft tissue tumors (59%). In secondary tumors, the majority were from the breast (45%) and lung (42%). Twenty-five percent of patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and 98% of patients underwent R0 resection. Soft tissue, skeletal + soft tissue, and extended resections were performed in 45%, 70%, and 28% of patients, respectively. The majority of patients (60%) underwent rib resections, and a median of 3.5 ribs were resected. The mean defect size was 24 cm2. Soft tissue reconstruction was performed in 40% of patients, mostly with latissimus dorsi flaps. Rigid reconstruction was performed in 57% of patients, and 18% underwent mesh-bone cement sandwich technique reconstruction. Adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy were given to 29% and 39% of patients, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This is one of the largest single-institutional experiences on malignant chest wall tumors. The results highlight varied tumor spectra and multimodality approaches for optimal functional and survival outcomes. In limited resource setting, surgery, including reconstructive expertise, is very crucial.

Interdisciplinary Treatment of Malignant Chest Wall Tumors

BACKGROUND

Chest wall resections for malignant chest wall tumors (MCWTs), particularly those with full-thickness chest wall involvement requiring reconstruction, present a therapeutic challenge for thoracic and plastic reconstructive surgeons. The purpose of this study was to review our experience with chest wall resection for primary and metastatic MCWTs, with a focus on perioperative outcomes and postoperative overall survival (OS).

METHODS

All patients who underwent surgical resection for primary and secondary MCWTs at our single institution between 2000 and 2019 were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 42 patients (25 male, median age 60 years) operated upon with curative (n = 37, 88.1%) or palliative (n = 5, 11.9%) intent were reviewed. Some 33 (78%) MCWTs were of secondary origin. Chest wall reconstruction was required in 40 (95%) cases. A total of 13 (31%) patients had postoperative complications and one (2.3%) died perioperatively. The 5-year postoperative overall survival rate was 51.9%. The postoperative 5-year survival rate of 42.6% in patients with secondary MCWTs was significantly lower compared to the figure of 87.5% in patients with primary MCWTs.

CONCLUSIONS

In well-selected patients, chest wall resections for primary and secondary MCWTs are feasible and associated with good perioperative outcomes. For secondary MCWTs, surgery can also be performed with palliative intent.

Radical resection of a giant recurrent chondrosarcoma of the anterior chest wall

A 63-year-old woman presented with a giant anterior chest wall tumor. She had undergone an operation 5 years previously for sternal chondrosarcoma at another medical center. Here, the patient underwent further surgery: a radical en bloc resection of an 18 × 18 cm portion of her anterior chest wall was performed, including the proximal ends of both clavicles, the first three costochondral joints bilaterally, and the tumor mass. The large chest wall defect was reconstructed in two layers: the first with a polypropylene mesh and a pedicled latissimus dorsi muscle flap as the second. She is healthy 20 months postoperatively.

Solitary metastatic adenocarcinoma of the sternum treated by total sternectomy and chest wall reconstruction using a Gore-Tex patch and myocutaneous flap: a case report

INTRODUCTION

The consequences of bone metastasis are often devastating. Although the exact incidence of bone metastasis is unknown, it is estimated that 350,000 people die of bone metastasis annually in the United States. The incidence of local recurrences after mastectomy and breast-conserving therapy varies between 5% and 40% depending on the risk factors and primary therapy utilized. So far, a standard therapy of local recurrence has not been defined, while indications of resection and reconstruction considerations have been infrequently described. This case report reviews the use of sternectomy for breast cancer recurrence, highlights the need for thorough clinical and radiologic evaluation to ensure the absence of other systemic diseases, and suggests the use of serratus anterior muscle flap as a pedicle graft to cover full-thickness defects of the anterior chest wall.

CASE PRESENTATION

We report the case of a 70-year-old Caucasian woman who was referred to our hospital for the management of a retrosternal mediastinal mass. She had undergone radical mastectomy in 1999. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 74.23 x 37.7 x 133.6-mm mass in the anterior mediastinum adjacent to the main pulmonary artery, the right ventricle and the ascending aorta. We performed total sternectomy at all layers encompassing the skin, the subcutaneous tissues, the right pectoralis major muscle, all the costal cartilages, and the anterior part of the pericardium. The defect was immediately closed using a 0.6 mm Gore-Tex cardiovascular patch combined with a serratus anterior muscle flap. Our patient had remained asymptomatic during her follow-up examination after 18 months.

CONCLUSION

Chest wall resection has become a critical component of the thoracic surgeon's armamentarium. It may be performed to treat either benign conditions (osteoradionecrosis, osteomyelitis) or malignant diseases. There are, however, very few reports on the results of full-thickness complete chest wall resections for locally recurrent breast cancer with sufficient safety margins, and even fewer reports that describe the operative technique of using the serratus anterior muscle as a pedicled flap.

Chest wall reconstruction and advanced disease

Clinical experience supports a role for palliative procedures in patients with locally advanced or recurrent breast cancer, yet numerous challenges are entailed in both the extirpation and reconstruction of the chest wall in these cases. The defects may be profound and complicated by prior surgery, radiation therapy, or patient-related variables. The reconstructive techniques employed must neither encumber nor delay any necessary postoperative therapy and must not result in unacceptable morbidity or compromise quality of life. Our surgical approach to these cases incorporates a team of specialists from a broad spectrum of medical and surgical disciplines. Each operative plan is tailored to the specific needs and requirements of the individual patient.

Gold standard for sternectomies and plastic reconstructions after resections for primary or secondary sternal neoplasms

BACKGROUND

Between January 1980 and December 1999, 88 patients underwent the surgical resection of sternal tumors: 30 primary malignant tumors, 28 local relapses or metastases from breast carcinomas, 16 other types of tumor, and 14 radionecroses.

METHODS

The sternectomies were total in 8 cases, subtotal in 32, and partial in 48. Prosthetic materials covered by flaps of myocutaneous or muscle tissue were used in 55 patients, prosthetic material alone in 13, myocutaneous or muscle flaps alone in 5, and other techniques in the remaining 15. The resection was radical in 78 cases and palliative in the other 10.

RESULTS

Forty-eight of the subjects who underwent radical surgery were alive and disease free at the end of the follow-up period. The expected 10-year survival of the patients treated for primary tumors is approximately 85% (Kaplan-Meier), and that of the patients with relapsing breast carcinomas is the same as after 5 years (41.8%).

CONCLUSIONS

In our experience, the treatment of neoplasms by means of a broad sternal resection followed by a reconstruction based on the use of prosthetic materials is an effective and safe solution that considerably improves the quality of life and makes it possible to perform curative broad radical resections in the case of primary sternal resections.

Radical surgery with omental flap for uncontrolled locally recurrent breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Uncontrolled chest wall disease due to breast cancer is a highly morbid condition causing pain, ulceration, malodour and the need for frequent dressings. Aggressive surgical approaches are rarely justified because most patients will succumb to metastatic breast cancer within a short period. A highly selected group of patients with minimal or no evidence of metastatic disease and good performance status may benefit from radical chest wall surgery. Omental transposition flaps are ideal for reconstructing extensive surgical defects following chest wall surgery.

METHODS

A retrospective review was carried out of 61 female patients treated consecutively between 1980 and 1995. The surgical technique is described herein.

RESULTS

All patients were symptomatic preoperatively. Symptoms included ulceration (80%), pain (44%) and malodour (40%). Twenty-nine patients had uncontrolled local recurrence following initial treatment for locally advanced breast cancer and 32 patients developed uncontrolled recurrence after treatment for operable breast cancer by mastectomy or conservation surgery. Median survival following chest wall surgery was 21 months and the median local recurrence-free interval was 20 months. Morbidity was -limited. There were no cases of major flap loss. Twenty-nine patients (48%) had no further local disease. Eighteen patients (30%) developed soft-tissue recurrence at the edge of the omental flap or in surrounding skin and 14 (23%) developed recurrence beneath the flap.

CONCLUSION

In a highly selected group of patients with symptomatic uncontrolled chest wall recurrence who are fit and have an expectation of at least moderate-term survival, radical chest wall surgery and omental flap transposition offers excellent palliation and local control in the majority of patients

Prognostic factors in patients with isolated recurrences of breast cancer (stage IV-NED)

BACKGROUND

One to 10% of women with metastatic breast cancer have a recurrence of their disease as an isolated lesion (local, regional, or distant) which may be treated by surgical resection, irradiation, or both. These are patients with stage IV breast cancer with no evidence of disease, or stage IV-NED. Because natural history and prognostic factors for patients with stage IV-NED are poorly determined, we decided to evaluate a group of patients with stage IV-NED treated at a single institution.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Ninety-six patients with isolated recurrence of stage IV breast cancer were analyzed retrospectively. Treatment of loco-regional or distant recurrence was surgery in 18 patients and surgery plus irradiation in 78 patients. Seventy-nine patients received systemic therapy after loco-regional treatment (24 chemotherapy and 55 hormonotherapy). Prognostic factors were analyzed and correlated with disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

Five-year DFS and OS for the whole group were 29% and 49%, respectively. On the univariate analysis, patients without axillary nodal involvement at the time of mastectomy had significantly greater 5-year DFS and OS than patients with nodal involvement (51% vs. 14% and 70% vs. 34%, respectively, p < 0.05). DFS was also significantly better for patients receiving systemic therapy after local treatment (31% vs. 19%). On the multivariate analysis, absence of nodal involvement and systemic therapy were associated with longer DFS (p = 0.044 and p = 0.008, respectively) and OS (p = 0.009 and p = 0.011, respectively). None of the other factors analyzed including menopausal status, T-stage, number of involved nodes, receptor status, adjuvant therapy, sites of first recurrence, or time from mastectomy to first recurrence had a predictive value for DFS and OS.

CONCLUSION

Patients with stage IV-NED have poor prognosis due to early development of metastatic disease. Absence of axillary nodal involvement at the time of mastectomy and systemic therapy following local management is associated with improved DFS and OS. These results suggest that systemic therapy after local treatment in stage IV-NED is indicated. Poor prognosis in patients with previous nodal involvement warrants new approaches.

Primary reconstruction after extensive chest wall resection

BACKGROUND

Chest wall resection and reconstruction has been proven to be a safe surgical procedure. This is particularly useful for breast cancer patients with chest wall recurrences or for those who first present with locally advanced cancer in the chest wall where there is both a large soft tissue and bony defect that need repair. In addition, many of these patients have had irradiation or chemotherapy, which can significantly impair wound healing.

METHODS

Thirty-four patients underwent chest wall resection and primary reconstruction over an 8-year period.

RESULTS

Twenty-three patients had breast carcinomas and six had breast and chest wall sarcomas. Of the breast carcinoma patients, 12 had local recurrences and 11 presented with locally advanced primary disease. Bony resection of the chest wall was required in 16 (47%) cases. Thirty myocutaneous flaps (18 rectus abdominis, four pectoralis major, eight latissimus dorsi) and three omental flaps were used for reconstruction. One required a deltovertebral skin flap. Skeletal reconstruction was necessary in four cases. All except one (97%) achieved primary wound healing. There was one mortality (3%) and three patients required further surgery for complications that were related to the reconstruction. Post-resection metastases occurred in 13 (42%) patients and only 2 (6%) had local recurrences. The 2-year survival rate was 78% with a mean survival time of 25.5 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Primary reconstruction for curative or palliative purposes is a useful and safe surgical procedure for patients with recurrent or locally advanced chest malignancies after extensive chest wall resection. Pedicled myocutaneous flap is the preferred option for skeletal and soft-tissue coverage.

Sternal resection for primary or secondary tumors

METHODS

From January 1980 to December 1993, 52 patients underwent surgical-resection for tumors involving the sternum. The series included 20 primary malignant tumors, 4 desmoid tumors, 2 malignant tumors infiltrating the sternum from adjacent organs, 19 local recurrences or metastases of breast tumors, and 7 metastases of other tumors. Total sternectomy was performed in 5 patients, subtotal sternal resection in 19, and partial resection (less than 50% of the sternum) in 28. Concurrent en bloc resection included anterior ribs in 37 patients, clavicle in 11, lung in 12 patients, pericardium in 7, and diaphragm in 2. The chest was reconstructed with prosthetic material and a myocutaneous flap in 26 patients (50%), prosthetic material only in 12 patients (23%), a myocutaneous flap in 5 patients (10%), and other techniques in the remaining patients. In 47 patients (90%) the resection was radical, and in the remaining 5 patients it was palliative.

RESULTS

No perioperative deaths occurred. After a median follow-up of 39 months, the overall 3-year survival was 58% and the 5-year survival 46%, with a median survival of 50 months. In 24 patients with primary tumor the 5-year survival after radical resection was 63%, and in 23 patients with secondary invasion (direct extension or metastasis) the 5-year survival was 38% (median 35 months). In recurrent breast cancer the 5-year survival was 48% in patients with direct extension to the chest wall and 60% in patients with distant bone metastasis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our experience demonstrates that sternal resection is a safe and effective treatment, which may improve the patient's quality of life and achieve a long-term survival not only in primary tumors but also in selected secondary malignant tumors of the sternum.

Resection and reconstruction of the chest wall

A review of the thoracic and plastic surgical techniques used in chest wall reconstruction

[Thoracic reconstruction with polytetrafluoroethylene prosthesis]

Thoracic wall resections are performed to treat a wide variety of conditions. Reconstruction techniques have varied considerably since the introduction of synthetic prosthesis, the most recent of which are made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, or Gore-Tex). We describe our department's experience with PTFE prosthesis. PTFE was used in 21 patients treated for various diseases. Thirteen reconstructions were of the thoracic wall, 4 were of the diaphragm and 4 of the pericardium. Three of the 13 thoracic wall reconstructions involved bilateral myoplasty of the pectoralis major, 2 involved omentoplasty and 1 required use of a wide musculocutaneous flap. Complications included pneumonia in 2 cases and 1 seroma with chronic cutaneous fistula that required removal of the prosthesis after 9 months. Two patients died, 1 after 19 days and the other after 9 months, both as a result of causes unrelated to reconstruction. Follow-up of these patients ranged from 3 to 54 months. We recommend the prosthetic use of PTFE for thoracic wall reconstruction, along with plasty or musculocutaneous flaps when necessary.

Aggressive therapy for locoregional recurrence after mastectomy in stage II and III breast cancer patients

BACKGROUND

To determine if aggressive treatment of locoregional recurrence affects survival, we retrospectively analyzed the clinical outcome of 69 breast cancer patients who developed locoregional disease as their first episode of recurrence following mastectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy.

METHODS

Patients were identified from among 1,707 stage II and III breast cancer patients who enrolled in five different doxorubicin-based adjuvant chemotherapy protocols at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center from 1975 to 1986. Sixty-nine evaluable patients who had a locoregional recurrence as the first site of relapse after mastectomy formed the study group. Multifactorial analysis of clinical and histopathological characteristics of both the primary tumor and the subsequent recurrence was performed using a logistic regression method. Survival analysis was performed using an actuarial life-table method calculated from the date of registration into the adjuvant therapy protocols.

RESULTS

Median follow-up was 6.6 years. Two factors significantly affected survival: recurrence of disease during or after adjuvant treatment of the primary and whether the patient was rendered disease free after recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

Stage II and III breast cancer patients who have locoregional recurrence after adjuvant chemotherapy and can be rendered disease free may have a better survival rate. Aggressive treatment of locoregional recurrence including complete surgical excision should be considered in this subgroup of patients.

Chest wall neoplasms and their management

Although uncommon, primary and metastatic neoplasms can occur in the chest wall. For malignant neoplasms, the potential for cure depends on the completeness of resection, histologic type, and tumor stage. Each patient warrants individual evaluation for chest wall resection. Operative selection is based on the potential benefits, operative feasibility, patient health, and anticipated tumor biology. The choice of reconstruction techniques is based on the tumor's location, the size of the remaining defect, and the availability of autogenous graft materials. Skeletal and soft tissue reconstruction can be performed safely in a single stage.

Reconstruction of chest wall defects following extirpative surgery

Reconstructive procedures following chest wall resection pose a special surgical challenge. With modern surgical technique, a wide range of reconstructive options are at the surgeon's disposal and, hence it is imperative that the appropriate procedure be selected in a given patient. A total of 64 patients underwent resection of malignant chest wall tumors at the Tata Memorial Hospital. The technique of preference at our institution for reconstruction of full-thickness chest wall defects uses a combination of autogenous fascia lata and Marlex mesh. We present our experience with chest wall reconstruction following extirpative surgery in these patients.

Chest wall resection for locally recurrent breast cancer: indications, technique, and results

A series of 100 patients with locally advanced carcinoma of the breast was analyzed for chest wall recurrence alone after primary treatment. Five patients were found to have had chest wall recurrence alone and were treated with en bloc chest wall resection. This group of patients was analyzed for the pathophysiology of recurrence including characteristics of the primary tumor, location of the chest wall recurrence, and overall local salvage and survival after chest wall recurrence. In this series, local recurrence after radical chest wall resection was 20%. The incidence of systemic recurrence after chest wall resection was 60%. The mean survival for the entire group was 17 months after chest wall recurrence and radical resection. The main surgical objectives, including relief from painful, inflammatory, and bleeding complications, were achieved in all patients after chest wall resection. Although patients with isolated chest wall recurrence included a highly selected group, chest wall resection with myocutaneous reconstruction may provide long-term disease-free survival for these patients.

Prognostic factors associated with survival after breast cancer recurrence

Factors associated with disease-free interval after the primary treatment and survival after a recurrence of breast cancer were studied in 331 female breast cancer patients treated in 1976-1980. Within five years after the primary treatment, recurrence occurred in 131 patients. The observation time of these patients after recurrence was from few weeks to twelve years. Twenty-nine patients were alive at the end of the follow-up. The average disease-free time was 2 years. The clinical stage of the disease in this material was not significantly associated with the disease-free interval. The median survival time after recurrence was 2.7 years when only breast cancer related deaths were included. Survival was significantly better for patients with primarily stage I disease than for patients with primarily stage II-IV disease. The size of the primary tumour was not significantly associated with survival after recurrence. The patients with loco-regional recurrence survived almost significantly better than those with distant recurrence. The disease-free time correlated positively with survival after a recurrence. The present study confirms the view that breast cancer includes several subgroups with a different type of clinical course.