Abstract P3-14-13: Total mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction for breast cancer: A ten-year Canadian single institution experience

Fear of high local recurrence rate associated with immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) following total mastectomy for breast cancer might be a contributing factor to the low rate of immediate reconstruction performed in Quebec. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the oncological safety of total mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction.

A retrospective chart review of all patients who underwent total mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction at the University of Montreal Hospital Center between 2006 and 2015 was performed.

375 patients (420 cases) met the inclusion criteria. The mean age was 51.5 years (25-77). The median follow-up was 45.6 months (0.4-115.2). Clinical cancer staging was done according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) criteria. 349 cases (83.1%) were classified as Stage < cIIb and 71 cases (16.9%) as ≥ cIIb. 73 patients (19.5%) received neoadjuvant chemotherapy, 113 (30.1%) received adjuvant chemotherapy and 91 (21.7%) received postoperative radiotherapy. Only 4 patients (3.5%) had a significant delay in receiving adjuvant chemotherapy and 4 patients (4.4%) had a delay in initiation of radiotherapy. In total, there were 12 (2.6%) local recurrences and 29 (7.7%) distant recurrences.

The results of this study demonstrate a low rate of local recurrence that is comparable to the current litterature. Total mastectomy in association with immediate breast reconstruction is therefore an oncologically safe approach for the treatment of breast cancer and should be more widely adopted by medical centers throughout Quebec.

Citation Format: Younan RJ, Al Khaldi M, Maalouf C, Guez M, Boulva K, robidoux A, Nassif E, Poljicak M, BouMerhi J, Bernier C, Patocskai E. Total mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction for breast cancer: A ten-year Canadian single institution experience [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-14-13.

Recto-cavernosal fistula after radiation for rectal cancer

Rectourethral fistula is a rare, but documented complication of rectal cancer. To our knowledge this is the first report of a recto- cavernosal fistula after chemo-radiotherapy for cancer of the rectum.

Randomized trial of cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil chemotherapy added to tamoxifen as adjuvant therapy in postmenopausal women with node-positive estrogen and/or progesterone receptor-positive breast cancer: a report of the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group. Breast Cancer Site Group

PURPOSE AND METHODS

By the mid 1980s, tamoxifen alone was considered standard adjuvant therapy for postmenopausal women with node-positive, estrogen receptor (ER)- or progesterone receptor (PgR)-positive breast cancer. From 1984 through 1990, 705 eligible postmenopausal women with node-positive, ER- or PgR-positive breast cancer were randomized to a National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group (NCIC CTG) study that compared tamoxifen 30 mg by mouth daily for 2 years (TAM) versus TAM plus chemotherapy with all-intravenous cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2, methotrexate 40 mg/m2, and fluorouracil 600 mg/m2 given every 21 days for eight cycles (CMF).

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in overall survival, recurrence-free survival, locoregional recurrence-free survival, or distant recurrence-free survival between the two treatment arms. However, there was significantly greater severe toxicity, which included leukopenia (P < .0001), nausea and vomiting (P < .0001), and thromboembolic events (P < .0001), as well as significantly more mild or greater toxicity, which included thrombocytopenia (P = .04), anemia (P = .02), infection (P = .0004), mucositis (P = .0001), diarrhea (P = .0001), and neurologic toxicity (P = .006), in women who received TAM plus CMF.

CONCLUSION

The addition of CMF to TAM adds no benefit and considerable toxicity in this group of women.

Survival of breast-cancer patients with previous or subsequent neoplasms

The authors reviewed retrospectively 1510 patients with breast cancer operated on between 1960 and 1980. They compared 1353 patients who had an isolated breast cancer (group 1) with 157 patients who also had breast cancer but had other cancers either previously or subsequently (group 2). The mean age of patients in group 2 was 2 years more than that of patients in group 1. Group 2 patients had fewer T3 tumours, more T1 tumours (TNM classification), a lower incidence of lymph-node involvement and clinically less advanced tumours than group 1 patients. Hormonal status, histologic type of tumour and surgical and adjuvant treatment were identical in both groups. The 10-year survival rate (considering death from breast cancer) was 54.6% in group 1 versus 78.1% in group 2. The overall survival rate (considering death from breast cancer or from the other cancer) was 54.1% in group 1 versus 64.5% in group 2. Survival was also better in group 2 for each clinical stage. The authors conclude that patients who have another cancer before or after the development of their breast cancer have a better survival rate than those who have isolated breast cancer with no previous or subsequent neoplasms.

Cancer of the breast: a study of 1520 consecutive patients operated on between 1960 and 1980

A retrospective study was carried out of 1520 consecutive patients with breast cancer operated on at the Hôpital Notre-Dame in Montreal between 1960 and 1980. Age and hormonal status of the patient, and duration, size, location, histologic type and stage of the tumour were studied. The authors grouped the patients according to four types of surgical treatment: radical (487 patients), modified radical (497 patients) and simple (220 patients) mastectomies and conservative procedures (316 patients). Adjuvant treatments included radiotherapy in 60%, hormone therapy in 4.7% and chemotherapy in 6.7% of patients. Overall survival at 5, 10 and 15 years was 71.3%, 58.7% and 51.1%; in patients with stage I disease, survival rates were, respectively, 86%, 78% and 72%; rates for patients with stage II disease were 74%, 62% and 53%. The population characteristics and survival rates were similar to those reported by others. The four types of treatment did not produce significantly different survival rates in patients with stage I lesions. However, this was not the case in patients with stage II and III lesions in whom simple mastectomy (McWhirter procedure) was associated with significantly worse results. Finally, this study confirmed the prognostic importance of stage, size of the tumour and degree of axillary lymph-node involvement.

[Complications of the treatment of cervix neoplasms by radiotherapy]

Of 939 patients treated by radiotherapy for carcinoma of the cervix at the hôpital Notre-Dame in Montreal, between 1979 and 1981, 275 (29.3%) had digestive, urologic, gynecologic, vascular, osseous and cutaneous complications. Surgery was necessary to treat 73 complications in 55 patients (5.9%): 42 digestive (25 occlusions, 13 fistulas and 4 perforations); 22 urologic (16 occlusions, 5 fistulas, 1 hemorrhage); 6 gynecologic (3 hemorrhage and 3 uterine necrosis); 1 cutaneous, 1 vascular and 1 osseous necrosis. No direct correlation was found between the incidence of the complications and certain predisposing factors such as the type of radiotherapy, patients' age, stage of the disease and gynecologic surgery before radiotherapy. However, there was a strong correlation between the incidence of complications and the dose of radiotherapy and the need for gynecologic surgery after radiotherapy. High morbidity was observed in the 55 patients treated surgically: they had to undergo a mean of 2.36 operations each, 2.98 general anesthetics, 1.81 hospitalizations (mean duration 75.7 days); 21 had one or more definitive stomas. The death rate was 5.45%. Surgical treatment was individualized. Limited resections were performed for occlusions, fistulas and perforations whenever it was technically feasible to treat digestive and urologic complications. A bypass procedure was used when resection would have been too extensive or dangerous. The majority of rectal lesions were treated by colostomy and a Hartmann procedure.

Wide excision of the tumor, axillary dissection, and postoperative radiotherapy as treatment of small breast cancers

A retrospective study was carried out on 265 patients with small cancers of the breast who were subjected to wide excision of the tumor, axillary dissection, and postoperative radiotherapy. In the group of patients with T1, T2 less than 3 cm, N0, N1a (which represents 90% of all patients in the study), axillary lymph node involvement was found in 27% of cases, and in 11% three nodes or more were affected. Only five cases of recurrences occurred during the follow-up, and 19 patients presented distant metastases. The survival for all patients T1, T2 less than 3 cm, N0, N1a in the study was of 93% at 3 years and 93% at 5 years. Morbidity was minimal and the cosmetic results were generally good.

Hematoma of bowel and cellulitis of the abdominal wall complicating herniography

Two complications of herniography are presented: a hematoma of bowel causing intestinal obstruction, and a cellulitis of the abdominal wall causing septicemia. A technical error probably caused the hematoma and gastroenteritis played a role in the cellulitis. We have now narrowed our indications for herniography. We think it should be reserved for more difficult diagnostic problems such as recurrent inguinal hernia, recurrent hydrocele or eventration of the diaphragm.