Publications by authors named "Shawna Willey"

Background: Breast-conserving surgery (BCS) followed by adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) is a standard treatment for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). A low-risk patient subset that does not benefit from RT has not yet been clearly identified. The DCISionRT test provides a clinically validated decision score (DS), which is prognostic of 10-year in-breast recurrence rates (invasive and non-invasive) and is also predictive of RT benefit.

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Introduction: With an increasing number of women entering surgical careers, pregnancy amongst surgical residents is anecdotally rising. There is no single resource to inform expectant surgical residents of potential occupational risks, or to help them optimize workplace safety during and after pregnancy. The aim of this initiative is to provide surgical residents with an overview of residency occupational risks applicable to maternal-fetal health, propose systemic and situational modifications, and to empower pregnant residents to better plan and advocate for a healthy pregnancy.

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Breast cancer (BC) is one of the leading causes of cancer mortality in women worldwide, and therefore, novel biomarkers for early disease detection are critically needed. We performed herein an untargeted plasma metabolomic profiling of 55 BC patients and 55 healthy controls (HC) using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC/Q-TOF-MS). Pre-processed data revealed 2494 ions in total.

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Objective: As germline genetic referral becomes increasingly routine as part of the care of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, it is important to understand the psychosocial impact of genetic counseling at the time of diagnosis. We examined the psychosocial and quality of life (QOL) impact of providing proactive rapid genetic counseling and testing (RGCT) in the immediate aftermath of a breast cancer diagnosis.

Methods: We randomized 330 patients in a 2:1 ratio to proactive rapid genetic counseling (RGCT; N = 222) versus usual care (UC; N = 108).

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Background: The role of radiation therapy (RT) following breast-conserving surgery (BCS) in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) remains controversial. Trials have not identified a low-risk cohort, based on clinicopathologic features, who do not benefit from RT. A biosignature (DCISionRT) that evaluates recurrence risk has been developed and validated.

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Background: Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) has been investigated for patients with low-risk, early-stage breast cancer. The The North American experience was evaluated by TARGIT-R (retrospective) to provide outcomes for patients treated in "real-world" clinical practice with breast IORT. This analysis presents a 5-year follow-up assessment.

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Article Synopsis
  • * A review of 1,202 mastectomy patients revealed significant differences in NSM rates based on race, age, and the type of healthcare facility, with younger and healthier patients being more likely to receive NSM.
  • * The study emphasizes that the specific surgeon has the greatest influence on the likelihood of a patient receiving NSM, with variations seen as high as a 63-fold difference among surgeons.
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Background: Nipple-sparing mastectomy is associated with improved aesthetics and oncologic safety. Recently, there has been a resurgence in prepectoral reconstruction. Because of limited data comparing complication rates on patients undergoing prepectoral breast reconstruction, this study compared 30-day postoperative complications by plane of prosthetic placement.

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Background: Available retrospective data suggest the upgrade rate for intraductal papilloma (IP) without atypia on core biopsy (CB) ranges from 0 to 12%, leading to variation in recommendations. We conducted a prospective multi-institutional trial (TBCRC 034) to determine the upgrade rate to invasive cancer (IC) or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) at excision for asymptomatic IP without atypia on CB.

Methods: Prospectively identified patients with a CB diagnosis of IP who had consented to excision were included.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to investigate why contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) rates have remained steady despite the American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBrS) guidelines issued in 2016 recommending against its over-use.
  • Researchers analyzed patient data from 1,051 breast cancer patients across eight hospitals, comparing nonindicated CPM to other mastectomy procedures, finding no significant change in nonindicated CPM rates over the study period from 2014 to 2018.
  • Key findings revealed that factors such as patient age, cancer stage, and reconstruction type influenced the likelihood of undergoing CPM, suggesting that education for providers and patients is needed to reduce unnecessary procedures.
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Background And Objectives: Many newly diagnosed breast cancer patients do not receive genetic counseling and testing at the time of diagnosis. We examined predictors of genetic testing (GT) in this population.

Methods: Within a randomized controlled trial of proactive rapid genetic counseling and testing vs usual care, patients completed a baseline survey within 6 weeks of breast cancer diagnosis but before a definitive survey.

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The COVID-19 pandemic presents clinicians a unique set of challenges in managing breast cancer (BC) patients. As hospital resources and staff become more limited during the COVID-19 pandemic, it becomes critically important to define which BC patients require more urgent care and which patients can wait for treatment until the pandemic is over. In this Special Communication, we use expert opinion of representatives from multiple cancer care organizations to categorize BC patients into priority levels (A, B, C) for urgency of care across all specialties.

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The rare but significant reports of aberrant lymph node drainage outside of the ipsilateral axilla in patients with breast cancer necessitate a review of the staging and treatment strategies for these patients. Current staging modalities continue to describe this phenomenon as a stage IV cancer, which could have profound implications for clinical management. We report a case of a patient with recurrent right breast invasive ductal carcinoma whose preoperative lymphoscintigraphy revealed sentinel lymph node drainage to the contralateral axilla.

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Background: The authors refine their anatomical patient selection criteria with a novel midclavicular-to-inframammary fold measurement for nipple-sparing mastectomy performed through an inframammary approach.

Methods: Retrospective review was performed of all nipple-sparing mastectomies performed through an inframammary approach. Exclusion criteria included other mastectomy incisions, staged mastectomy, previous breast operation, and autologous reconstruction.

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Purpose: Recent trends indicate increased use of contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) among newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, particularly those who test positive for a pathogenic variant in the BRCA1/2 genes. However, the rate of CPM among patients who test negative or choose not to be tested is surprisingly high. We aimed to identify patient predictors of CPM following breast cancer diagnosis among such patients.

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Surgeons often seek to perfect their technical dexterity, and hand dominance of the surgeon is an important factor given the constraints of operative field laterality. However, experience often dictates how surgeons are able to compensate. While surgeons have experienced preference for the ipsilateral breast, the impact of surgeon handedness, experience, and volume has not been directly examined in a single study.

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Background: As the demand for nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) increases and surgeons expand the eligibility criteria, a subset of patients may become candidates following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). However, the impact of NACT on postoperative complications remains unclear as the current literature is discordant.

Methods: A single-institution, retrospective chart review was performed on patients undergoing NSM from 1989 to 2017.

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Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate knowledge, attitudes, and practice patterns of physicians prescribing topical estrogen for women with urogenital atrophy and a history of breast cancer.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of breast surgeons, urogynecologists, and gynecologists was distributed via their professional societies: the American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBrS), the American Urogynecologic Society (AUGS), and the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons (SGS). Providers reported level of comfort prescribing vaginal estrogen for urogenital symptoms for women with different categories of breast cancer and current treatment: estrogen receptor (ER) negative, ER positive no longer on endocrine therapy, and ER positive currently on adjuvant endocrine therapy.

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Background: Staged nipple-sparing mastectomy following mastopexy or reduction mammaplasty was first described in 2011 by Spear et al. to expand the indications for nipple-sparing mastectomy to women with large or ptotic breasts. Since that time, the authors have revised their treatment algorithm and technique to enhance oncologic safety and improve wound healing complications.

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Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) is a minimally invasive radiation option for select patients with early stage breast cancer. This prospective, single institution, pilot study summarizes patient-reported quality of life (QoL) outcomes and clinician-reported toxicity following IORT following breast conservation therapy. Forty-nine patients were enrolled in a prospective study from 2013 until 2015 to assess QoL and toxicity following breast conservation therapy and IORT.

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Breast cancer (BC) adjuvant therapy after mastectomy in the setting of 1-3 positive lymph nodes has been controversial. This retrospective Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium study evaluated molecular aberrations in primary cancers associated with locoregional recurrence (LRR) or distant metastasis (DM) compared to non-recurrent controls. We identified 115 HER2 negative, therapy naïve, T 1-3 and N 0-1 BC patients treated with mastectomy but no post-mastectomy radiotherapy.

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Background: The American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBrS) Nipple Sparing Mastectomy Registry (NSMR) is a prospective, non-randomized, IRB approved, multi-institutional registry. The purpose of this Registry is to provide a large, prospective, non-randomized database of patient characteristics, tumor characteristics, surgical technique, and outcome (both aesthetic and oncologic) of the nipple sparing mastectomy (NSM).

Methods: Data is entered into the ASBrS NSMR, housed within the Mastery of Surgery Program, after patients consent to participation.

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Background: The aim of this study is to describe a less aggressive approach to management of positive nipple margin following nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM), allowing for preservation of the nipple-areolar complex (NAC).

Study Design: A single-institution retrospective chart review was performed for patients undergoing NSM from 1989 to 2017. Positive nipple margin was defined as any residual invasive carcinoma or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) within the additional nipple margin.

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The aim of this study is to assess the complication profile and impact on patient-reported quality of life in those undergoing nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) with immediate breast reconstruction and subsequent prosthetic reconstruction in patients with prior breast radiation therapy (pRT) vs those receiving adjuvant post-mastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT). An IRB-approved, retrospective analysis was performed from 2002 to 2014 to identify NSM patients that underwent pRT or PMRT. A 22-item Likert scale questionnaire was administered by a third party to register patient-reported quality of life.

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