Oncological status is not a determinant of refraining from breast reconstruction among 490 candidates for mastectomy and post-mastectomy radiotherapy

Background: Although breast reconstruction in the setting of post-mastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) is controversial, we offer nipple-sparing mastectomy and immediate implant-based breast reconstruction ([N]SSM/IIBR) to women needing primary mastectomy regardless of PMRT. Nevertheless, some of these women have no reconstruction.

Purpose: To assess the uptake of breast reconstruction in women who undergo PMRT and the patient characteristics associated with such uptake. Additionally, we assessed the determinants of forgoing breast reconstruction.

Methodology: Demographic, physical and oncological characteristics of women who underwent mastectomy, PMRT and breast reconstruction were compared to the characteristics of those who did not undergo breast reconstruction from 2013 through 2018. As determinants of delaying or refraining from breast reconstruction, we distinguished between an oncological reason, patient's preference, patient's co-morbidity, combined tobacco abuse and obesity and the need for PMRT.

Results: 490 women received PMRT. Of these, 396 women (81%) underwent combined [N]SSM/IIBR and PMRT or mastectomy and PMRT with delayed breast reconstruction. Ninety-four additional women (19%) did not undergo breast reconstruction. The latter group differed significantly from those who did in demographic and physical characteristics but not in terms of oncological diagnosis and history. Patient's preference was the single most frequent determinant of not performing either immediate or delayed breast reconstruction among these 94 women. Oncological status was not a major determinant in refraining from reconstruction.

Conclusion: The significant difference in non-oncological characteristics between the reconstructed and non-reconstructed women confirms the importance of these characteristics in the preference for either reconstruction or non-reconstruction.