Surgical Outcome Measures in a Cohort of Patients at High Risk of Breast Cancer Treated by Bilateral Risk-Reducing Mastectomy and Breast Reconstruction

Background: Women with breast cancer-related genetic pathogenic variants (e.g., BRCA1, BRCA2) or with a strong family history carry lifetime risks of developing breast cancer of up to 80 to 90 percent. A significant proportion of these women proceed to bilateral risk-reducing mastectomy. The authors aimed to document the surgical morbidity of risk-reducing mastectomy and establish whether a diagnosis of breast cancer at the time of surgery impacted outcomes. Methods: Clinical details of 445 women identified as having a greater than 25 percent lifetime risk of developing breast cancer who underwent risk-reducing mastectomy and breast reconstruction were interrogated for surgical outcomes such as planned, unplanned, and emergency procedures; complication rates; length of stay; and longevity of breast reconstruction. These outcome measures were recorded in women diagnosed with breast cancer perioperatively (cancer group) and those without malignancy (benign group). Results: Median follow-up was similar in both groups (benign group, 70 months; cancer group, 73 months). Patients were older in the cancer group than in the benign group (43 years versus 39 years; p < 0.001). Women in the cancer group required more planned procedures to complete reconstruction than those in the benign group (four versus two; p = 0.002). Emergency procedures, unplanned surgical interventions (e.g., capsulectomy), and postreconstruction complication rates were similar between groups. One in five women overall required revision surgery. Patients with autologous reconstructions had a revision rate of 1.24 per 1000 person-years compared with 2.52 per 1000 person-years in the implant reconstruction group. Conclusions: Women contemplating risk-reducing mastectomy can be reassured that this is a safe and effective procedure but will likely take multiple interventions. This knowledge should be integral to obtaining informed consent.

Automated summary

The study examined the surgical outcomes of risk-reducing mastectomy and breast reconstruction in 445 women with a high risk of developing breast cancer. It found that women diagnosed with breast cancer at the time of surgery were older, required more planned procedures, and had similar complication rates compared to those without malignancy. Approximately one in five women overall required revision surgery.