Wound-healing complications following biopsy of the irradiated breast
R. D. Pezner, J. A. Lorant, J. Terz, J. Ben-Ezra, T. Odom-Maryon and K. H. Luk
Division of Radiation Oncology, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010.
A retrospective review evaluated results of 38 posttreatment biopsies (with
resulting benign pathologic findings) that were performed on 32 irradiated
breasts or axillae in 31 of 232 patients who underwent conservation
treatment of early-stage breast cancer. Postbiopsy wound-healing
complications developed in eight (30%) of 27 patients who were undergoing
open biopsies but in none of 11 who underwent only needle biopsies.
Wound-healing complications occurred in two of five patients who underwent
incisional skin biopsy, three of five who underwent mammographic
needle-localized excisional biopsy, and three of 17 who underwent other
types of open biopsies. Frequency of wound-healing complications following
open biopsy was not related to patient age, diabetes mellitus, cigarette
smoking, or use of chemotherapy. Wound-healing complications were related
to breast size, developing in four (67%) of six patients with large breasts
(brassiere cup size D or DD) as compared with that in only four (19%) of 21
patients with smaller breasts. Significant worsening of cosmetic breast
retraction was frequently associated with wound-healing complications,
especially wounds that took more than 1 month to heal.
