Clinical Results: The study reported a high degree of patient (73%) and physician (82%) satisfaction at the interim six-month observation period with the overall outcome after a single treatment in difficult to treat breast reconstruction patients. On a scale of zero to five (five is extremely satisfied and zero is extremely dissatisfied), mean patient satisfaction scores improved from 2.8 at baseline to 3.9 at six-month follow up. Mean physician satisfaction scores improved from 3.1 to 4.1. For the 32 patients, there was a mean age of 52 years and a mean defect volume estimated by the investigators of 106 milliliters in 33 treated breasts (one patient had both breasts treated).

General anesthesia was used in most patients (32 out of 33 during liposuction and 20 of 33 for re-injection). In 24 patients, a single donor site was used, in eight patients two sites, and in one patient, three sites were used for liposuction. The abdomen was the preferred site for harvest of the graft (28 of the total 43 harvest sites). One operative complication was reported. A patient on anticoagulation therapy had a postoperative hematoma that resolved without continuing harm to the patient. Patient and physician satisfaction scores are based on pre-operative versus post operative assessment of symmetry, scarring, pigmentation, and overall breast deformity.

Imaging Results: All MRIs were evaluated by an independent blinded core lab to avoid assessment bias. Qualitative assessments of MRI for changes in breast shape and defect shape were included in the abstract. Of the 31 patients with imaging data reviewed at the time of publication, 19 had defects assessable by MRI. The remaining 12 patients either had defects not assessable by MRI, such as in the extreme upper lateral quadrant, or presented mostly with breast asymmetry. One of 31 patients developed an asymptomatic lipid cyst that was observed on MRI; no treatment was required.

The shape of the breast improved (58%), significantly improved (13%), or remained stable (29%) in all of the 31 cases assessed (100%). None of the patients had negative changes in the overall shape of their breasts. The shape of the defect improved (47%), significantly improved (11%), or remained stable (31%) in 17 of the 19 cases (89%).

Breast Cancer and BCT: More than one million women worldwide are diagnosed with breast cancer annually. The reported number of new cases is about equally spread geographically between the Americas, Europe and Asia. The U.S. has the highest incidence rate of any country in the world where breast cancer will be diagnosed in approximately 1 in 8 women during their lifetime. According to the American Cancer Society, the U.S. also reports the greatest number of cases with an estimated 190,000 new diagnoses per year. The increased emphasis on early detection means that a growing percentage of women are discovering the cancer earlier in the disease progression, receiving earlier and better care with corresponding improvement in survival. Earlier detection means more patients are eligible for BCT versus a full mastectomy, with the majority of breast cancer patients now eligible for BCT.

Source: Glasgow Royal Infirmary