This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citing articles on Web of Science (12)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Related article  • Similar articles in this journal  Topic Collections  • Breast Cancer  • Surgical Oncology  • Alert me on articles by topic  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Christopher M. Pezzi, MD; John S. Kukora, MD; Isabelle M. Audet, MD; Scott H. Herbert, MD; David Horvick, MD; Melvyn P. Richter, MD

Arch Surg. 2004;139:32-37.

Hypothesis  Resection of the nipple-areolar complex (NAC) for central breast cancers that involve the nipple or areola, with postoperative radiation therapy, adheres to the oncologic principles established for breast conservation surgery of other breast cancers. Good or excellent cosmetic results can be achieved. The rate of ipsilateral breast recurrence will be similar to that seen with peripheral breast cancers. The indications for breast conservation surgery can be safely extended to include patients with breast cancers that involve the NAC.

Design  Retrospective medical record review; follow-up patient questionnaire.

Setting  Community teaching hospital.

Patients  Fifteen patients, aged 46 to 88 years, whose central breast cancers involved the NAC precluding preservation of the NAC.

Interventions  Nipple-areolar complex resection, postoperative radiation therapy.

Main Outcome Measures  Ipsilateral breast recurrence, survival, cosmesis.

Results  Ten patients had subareolar cancers that directly involved the nipple or areola; 5 patients had Paget disease of the nipple. Average tumor size was 1.6 cm (range, 0.2-3.5 cm). With a mean follow-up of 32 months (range, 4-109 months), there has been only 1 recurrence (7%), which was treated successfully by modified radical mastectomy. All 15 patients are alive and free of disease. Cosmetic results are satisfactory to excellent, as judged by both the patients and the surgeons.

Conclusions  Nipple-areolar complex resection for central subareolar cancers that directly involve the NAC, as well as for Paget disease of the nipple, extends the indications for breast conservation in other areas of the breast, and with acceptable cosmesis.

From the Department of Surgery (Drs Pezzi, Kukora, and Audet) and the Division of Radiation Oncology (Drs Herbert, Horvick, and Richter), Abington Memorial Hospital, Abington, Pa.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

RELATED ARTICLE

Breast Conservation Surgery Using Nipple-Areolar Resection for Central Breast Cancers—Invited Critique
E. Shelley Hwang
Arch Surg. 2004;139(1):38.
EXTRACT | FULL TEXT