Background: Among women with early invasive breast cancer and 1-2 positive sentinel nodes, sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is non-inferior to axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). However, preoperative axillary ultrasonography (AxUS) may not be sensitive enough to discriminate burden of nodal metastasis in these patients, potentially leading to overtreatment. This study compares axillary operation rates in patients who did and did not receive preoperative AxUS, assessing its utility and risks for overtreatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: As survivorship for breast cancer continues to improve, emphasis of care falls upon improving patients' quality of life. Understanding physical and mental health in the preoperative period is needed to aid surgical decision making and improve patient experience.
Methods: Consecutive patients awaiting total mastectomy (TM), TM with immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) and breast conserving surgery (BCS) were prospectively recruited.
Background: Documenting negative margins at the nipple-areolar complex (NAC) during nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) remains the standard, but how to achieve this and how to manage a positive margin is debated. We sought to review nipple margin assessments at our institution and to analyze the risk factors of a positive margin and rate of local recurrence.
Methods: Patients who underwent NSM between 2012 and 2018 were reviewed and divided into 3 groups based on indication - cancer, contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) and bilateral prophylactic mastectomy (BPM).
As rates of total mastectomy rise, the relationships between surgery modality with domains of health-related quality of life is not well understood. This study reports differences in depression, anxiety, pain, and health status among a cohort of women scheduled to receive total mastectomy or breast-conserving surgery. Patient-reported outcomes measured preoperative differences between patients receiving total mastectomy or breast-conserving surgery in a cross-sectional design.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The Identification of Seniors at Risk (ISAR) screening tool is a widely-used risk stratification tool for older adults in the emergency department (ED). Few studies have investigated the use of ISAR to predict outcomes of hospitalized patients. To improve usability a revised version of ISAR (ISAR-R), was developed in a quality improvement project.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Fibroepithelial lesions (FEL) range from benign fibroadenoma (FA) to malignant phyllodes tumor (PT), but can be difficult to diagnose on core needle biopsy (CNB). This study assesses risk factors for phyllodes tumor (PT) and recurrence and whether a policy to excise FELs over 3 cm in size is justified.
Methods: Patients having surgery for FELs from 2009 to 2018 were identified.
Background: There is current concern for overtreatment of breast cancer and rising mastectomy rates. This study compared preoperative imaging size (PIS) to postoperative pathology sizes (PPS) with a view to identifying opportunities to de-escalate surgery.
Methods: Patients having surgery from 2013 to 2017 for first invasive breast cancers were identified and PIS was compared to PPS looking at correlation and concordance.
Quality Indicators (QIs), including the breast-conserving surgery (BCS) rate, were published by the European and American Breast Cancer Societies and this study assesses these in a Canadian population to look for opportunities to de-escalate surgery. A total of 2311 patients having surgery for unilateral, unifocal breast cancer between 2013 and 2017 were identified and BCS QIs calculated. Reasons for mastectomy had been prospectively collected with synoptic operative reporting.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The COVID-19 pandemic has seen major shifts in the delivery of health care across the world, including adoption of telemedicine. We present a survey of patient experience with telemedicine for the treatment of breast cancer.
Methods: A questionnaire designed to assess patient satisfaction with telemedicine was distributed to all patients who underwent surgery at the Providence Breast Centre (PBC) for breast cancer or benign/high-risk lesions with surgery follow-up dates between October 13 and December 31, 2020.
Breast Cancer Res Treat
November 2021
Purpose: Immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) following mastectomy remains controversial for locally advanced breast cancer over concerns regarding recurrence and complications which may delay adjuvant therapies. This study aimed to compare the oncologic outcomes and surgical safety of IBR following mastectomy with mastectomy alone (MA) for locally advanced breast cancer.
Methods: All patients treated at the Providence Breast Center between 2012 and 2017 for biopsy-proven locally advanced breast cancer, AJCC (8th edition) clinical stages (IIB-IIIC), were included.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented challenges in health care, threatening access and delivery of medical services across all sectors. Patients with breast cancer desiring breast reconstruction require timely interdisciplinary care; resource limitations threaten access to this elective reconstructive element of cancer care. An expert panel was convened to identify challenges, recommend preliminary solutions, and identify important future directions in anticipation of prolonged restrictions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The SSO Choosing Wisely campaign recommended selective sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in clinically node-negative women aged ≥ 70 years with ER+ breast cancer. We sought to assess the association of SLNB positivity, adjuvant treatment, and survival in a population-based cohort.
Patients And Methods: Women aged ≥ 70 years treated for ER+ HER2- breast cancer between 2010 and 2016 were identified in our prospective provincial database.
Background: Surgical decisions for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) are based on lesion sizes. This study aims to determine the accuracy of pre-operative imaging in estimating the size of DCIS.
Methods: This was a retrospective review of clinicopathologic data of patients treated for DCIS with breast conserving surgery (BCS) between 2012 and 2018.
Background: Contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) is not recommended for average-risk women with breast cancer due to lack of evidence for survival benefit, yet recent studies demonstrate increasing CPM rates.
Methods: We identified patients with breast cancer treated with unilateral mastectomy (UM) with or without CPM. Rates of malignancy in CPM specimens and factors in CPM rates were assessed.
Background: We assessed the cancer upstage rate of Radial Scars (RS), and Complex Sclerosing Lesions (CSL), and risk-stratified lesions based on radiological and pathological features.
Methods: Characteristics of RS/CSL treated from 2013 to 2018 were examined for features associated with cancer.
Results: 78 RS/CSL were found on core needle biopsy (CNB) and surgically excised.
Purpose: In British Columbia (BC), there have been 2790 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of June 20, 2020. The aim of this project is to capture the effect of COVID-19 on the volume of surgery and adaptations to the surgical care of patients at a breast centre in BC.
Methods: All proven or suspected breast cancer cases treated with surgery between March 16, 2019 and April 30, 2019 and March 16, 2020 and April 30, 2020 through the Providence Breast Centre were included in this review.
Background: Guidelines recommend surgical excision of atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) due to the concern of undersampling a potential malignancy on core needle biopsy (CNB). The purpose of this study was to determine clinical, radiological and pathological variables associated with ADH upstaging to cancer and to develop a predictive risk calculator capable of identifying women who have a low oncological risk of upstaging.
Methods: A prospectively collected database from a tertiary breast referral center was analyzed for women diagnosed with ADH on CNB between January 2013 to December 2017 who underwent surgical excision.
Background: Women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) report poor patient-clinician communication, and long-lasting confusion and anxiety about their treatment and prognosis. Research shows that patient-centred care (PCC) improves patient experience and outcomes. Little is known about the clinician experience of delivering PCC for DCIS.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer and high levels of anxiety often pursue more aggressive surgical interventions. The neoadjuvant treatment (NAT) setting could provide a window of opportunity to address patients' anxiety. However, the impact of anxiety on surgical decisions in the setting of NAT for breast cancer has not been previously studied.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Wide excision margins are traditionally recommended for phyllodes tumours of the breast to reduce recurrence. Recent studies suggest margin status and histopathological features, excluding margin width, influence recurrence. This study evaluated treatment outcomes for phyllodes tumours and examined predictors of recurrence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Timely access to breast cancer surgery is imperative for patient outcome. Building upon our previous model, 5 breast surgeons centralized all breast surgical referrals using principles of centralized intake and nurse navigator triage. The goal of this study was to investigate whether centralization can further improve access to surgery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Routine excision of flat epithelial atypia (FEA) of the breast found on core needle biopsy (CNB) is being questioned and a policy of selective excision of FEA was adopted in our area. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the upstage rate to malignancy across multiple diagnostic centers in our area following the policy of selective excision and to identify factors predictive of malignancy.
Methods: Patients having excision of CNB FEA at our regional Hospital between 2013 and 2017 were identified.
Background: Patient-centred care (PCC) improves health-care experiences and outcomes. Women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and clinicians have reported communication difficulties. Little prior research has studied how to improve communication and PCC for DCIS.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: In recent years, routine excision of papillary neoplasms (PN) of the breast has been questioned and controversy exists over when excision is necessary. The aim of this study was to evaluate the upstage rate to malignancy of core needle biopsy (CNB) diagnosed PNs from multiple diagnostic centers in our area and to identify factors predictive of malignancy.
Methods: Patients presenting to our surgical center between 2013 and 2017 for excision of CNB PN were evaluated.