Standardizing coordination between surgical oncology and reconstructive surgery for breast cancer patients undergoing mastectomy with immediate reconstruction.

110 Background: Timely diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, endorsed by organizations such as ASCO and NCCN, are essential to ensure optimal clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction. Inefficient care coordination may adversely affect care quality. At our cancer center, 75% of patients who undergo mastectomy seek a reconstructive surgery consult and over 60% elect mastectomy with immediate reconstruction. We sought to evaluate and reduce the time to reconstructive surgery consult and first definitive surgery (FDS) by streamlining coordination between services. Methods: We studied 330 patients who underwent mastectomy with immediate reconstruction between January 2011 and April 2013. Time intervals between initial surgical consult, reconstruction consult, and FDS were calculated. After examining existing best practices in patient referral and scheduling, we established targets of 7 days from initial consult to reconstruction consult and 28 days from initial consult to FDS. To achieve these targets, facilitated sessions were held with administrative and clinical experts to create a standard referral and scheduling process, including a referral template and establishing surgical teams based on clinic and operating room alignment. The interventions were implemented over a 6-month period. Results: Mean days from initial consult to reconstructive surgery consult decreased, with significant improvement in reaching the 7 day target. No significant changes from time of initial consult to FDS were observed. Conclusions: Standardizing coordination has led to timelier reconstructive surgery consults for patients undergoing mastectomy with immediate reconstruction. Other factors, such as operating room availability, pre-operative testing and patient preference should be explored to reduce the time to FDS. [Table: see text]

Download Full-text

Reducing breast cancer chemotherapy treatment delays by improving the transition from surgical to medical oncology.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2013.31.31_suppl.51 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 31 (31_suppl) ◽

pp. 51-51

Author(s):

Katya Losk ◽

Sarah Kadish ◽

Mehra Golshan ◽

Nancy Lin ◽

Judith Hirshfield-Bartek ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Medical Oncology ◽

Surgical Oncology ◽

Transitions Of Care ◽

Administrative Staff ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Breast Cancer Chemotherapy ◽

Definitive Surgery

51 Background: Delayed chemotherapy is associated with adverse clinical outcomes for breast cancer patients. Few studies have examined the processes of care within administrative staff and providers’ control that might affect the timeliness of breast cancer care. Coordinating transitions of care from surgical to medical oncology to eliminate variation is essential in ensuring timely chemotherapy for patients after surgery. This study evaluated the time of transition from surgery to medical oncology when administrative change of practice was implemented. Methods: We studied 192 consecutive breast cancer patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy. The interval between last definitive surgery and initiation of chemotherapy was calculated by integrating billing and scheduling data. Using process improvement methods a multidisciplinary team identified the opportunity to reduce delays in care coordination by scheduling the surgery, surgical post-op appointment, and medical oncology follow-up appointments simultaneously. Furthermore, responsibility for scheduling the medical oncology follow-up appointment was shifted and standardized from medical to surgical oncology administrative staff. Criteria for acceptable timeliness of appointments and escalation pathways for when provider availability was limited were established. The intervention targeted patients whose initial consultation with a breast surgeon and medical oncologist occurred on the same day, the standard practice at our institution. Results: Implementation of the interventions decreased the time from surgery to chemotherapy by six days. The standard deviation also declined, suggesting that the intervention reduced process variability. Conclusions: Standardizing administrative practices between breast surgery and medical oncology has led to a significant decrease in the time from last definitive surgery to initiation of chemotherapy and in the variability of that delay. [Table: see text]

Download Full-text

Impact of bilateral mastectomy with or without immediate reconstruction on time to subsequent therapy in breast cancer in a community oncology clinic.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2017.35.15_suppl.e18154 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 35 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. e18154-e18154

Author(s):

Rajshekhar Chakraborty ◽

Ronald Regal ◽

Brian Johnson ◽

Jennifer Benedict ◽

Bret Edward Buckley Friday

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Prophylactic Mastectomy ◽

Contralateral Prophylactic Mastectomy ◽

Bilateral Mastectomy ◽

Cancer Center ◽

Immediate Reconstruction ◽

Community Oncology ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Definitive Surgery

e18154 Background: Due to an increase in the elective decision to pursue contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM), the incidence of bilateral mastectomy (BM) with/without postmastectomy reconstruction (R) [BM+/-R] has increased in the last decade. While prior studies at academic centers have investigated concerns regarding its impact on subsequent cancer therapy, we hypothesized that BM+/-R is associated with a delay in initiation of adjuvant therapy (AT) in a community oncology clinic. Methods: This study involved chart review of all patients who underwent mastectomy as definitive surgery for stage I-III breast cancer between 2007 and 2012 and were subsequently followed at Essentia Health Cancer Center. The primary endpoint of the study was the proportion of patients receiving subsequent AT within 6 weeks of surgery (TST6) when compared between different surgical groups. Results: A total of 478 patients were included in the study, with a median age of 63 years. Patients were divided into 4 groups, BM-R (n = 133), BM+R (n = 73), unilateral mastectomy (UM) –R (n = 244) and UM+R (n = 28). Significant demographic differences were identified between the groups including age ( p< 0.001), medical comorbidities ( p< 0.001), and BMI ( p< 0.001). The incidence of any major post-operative complication (including flap/implant failure, infection and wound necrosis/dehiscence) or additional surgeries within 6 weeks of surgery was higher in patients undergoing reconstruction, [BM+R (19%) and UM+R (18%)] compared to those who did not [BM-R (6%) and UM-R (4%)] ( p< 0.001). Patients having major complications or needing additional surgeries within 6 weeks had a lower adjusted likelihood of achieving TST6 compared to those who did not (OR = 0.35; p= 0.009). However, there was no significant difference in TST6 between the surgical groups ( p= 0.31). Conclusions: Immediate post-mastectomy reconstruction is associated with a significantly increased risk of postoperative complications or need for additional surgeries within 6 weeks. In an appropriately selected patient population, CPM and reconstruction do not significantly delay subsequent AT in a community oncology clinic.

Download Full-text

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Breast Cancer Patients at a Medical Center in Taiwan: A Cross-Sectional Study

Integrative Cancer Therapies ◽

10.1177/1534735420983910 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 19 ◽

pp. 153473542098391

Author(s):

Chieh-Ying Chin ◽

Yung-Hsiang Chen ◽

Shin-Chung Wu ◽

Chien-Ting Liu ◽

Yun-Fang Lee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Alternative Medicine ◽

Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Medical Center ◽

Cancer Center ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Cam Use ◽

Complementary And Alternative

Background Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is becoming more common in medical practice, but little is known about the concurrent use of CAM and conventional treatment. Therefore, the aim was to investigate the types of CAM used and their prevalence in a regional patient cohort with breast cancer (BC). Methods BC patients were interviewed with a structured questionnaire survey on the use of CAM in southern Taiwan at an Integrative Breast Cancer Center (IBCC). The National Centre for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) classification was used to group responses. Over a period of 8 months, all patients receiving treatment for cancer at the IBCC were approached. Results A total of 106 BC patients completed the survey (response rate: 79.7%). The prevalence of CAM use was 82.4%. Patients who were employed, were receiving radiotherapy and hormone therapy, and had cancer for a longer duration were more likely to use CAM ( P < .05). Multivariate analysis identified employment as an independent predictor of CAM use (OR = 6.92; 95% CI = 1.33-36.15). Dietary supplementation (n = 69, 82.1%) was the type of CAM most frequently used, followed by exercise (n = 48, 57.1%) and traditional Chinese medicine (n = 29, 34.5%). The main reason for using CAM was to ameliorate the side effects of conventional therapies. Almost half (46.4%) of these CAM users did not disclose that they were using it in medical consultations with their physicians. Most chose to use CAM due to recommendations from family and friends. Conclusion A large portion of BC patients at the IBCC undergoing anti-cancer treatment courses used CAM, but less than half discussed it with their physicians. Given the high prevalence of CAM, it would be justifiable to direct further resources toward this service so that cancer patients can benefit from a holistic approach to their treatment.

Download Full-text

Effect of surgical complications on outcomes in breast cancer patients treated with mastectomy and immediate reconstruction

Breast Cancer Research and Treatment ◽

10.1007/s10549-021-06241-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Emily L. Siegel ◽

Junmin Whiting ◽

Younchul Kim ◽

Weihong Sun ◽

Christine Laronga ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Surgical Complications ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Immediate Reconstruction

Download Full-text

Is There a Bias Against Obese Patients in the Treatment of Breast Cancer?

The American Surgeon ◽

10.1177/0003134820984877 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 000313482098487

Author(s):

Melinda Wang ◽

Julian Huang ◽

Anees B. Chagpar

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Prophylactic Mastectomy ◽

Implicit Bias ◽

Treatment Decision ◽

Obese Patients ◽

Breast Cancers ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Immediate Reconstruction

Background Patient and tumor characteristics often coincide with obesity, potentially affecting treatment decision-making in obese breast cancer patients. Independent of all of these factors, however, it is unclear whether obesity itself impacts the decision to offer patients undergoing mastectomy breast reconstruction, postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT), or neoadjuvant chemotherapy. We sought to determine whether implicit bias against obese breast cancer patients undergoing mastectomy plays a role in their treatment. Methods Medical records of breast cancer patients undergoing mastectomy from January 2010 to April 2018 from a single institution were retrospectively reviewed, separated into obese (BMI ≥30) and nonobese (BMI <30) categories, and compared using nonparametric statistical analyses. Results Of 972 patients, 291 (31.2%) were obese. Obese patients were more likely to have node-positive, triple-negative breast cancers ( P = .026) and were also more likely to have other comorbidities such as a history of smoking ( P = .026), hypertension ( P < .001), and diabetes ( P < .001). Receipt of immediate reconstruction and contralateral prophylactic mastectomy did not vary between obese and nonobese patients. While obese patients were more likely to undergo neoadjuvant chemotherapy (26.5% vs. 18.1%, P = .004) and PMRT (33.0% vs. 23.4%, P = .003), this did not remain significant when controlling for comorbidities and clinicopathologic confounders. Conclusion Obese patients present with more aggressive tumors and often have concomitant comorbidities. Independent of these factors, however, differences in the treatment of patients undergoing mastectomy do not seem to be affected by an implicit bias against obese patients.

Download Full-text

Implementation of a Breast/Reconstruction Surgery Coordinator to Reduce Preoperative Delays for Patients Undergoing Mastectomy With Immediate Reconstruction

Journal of Oncology Practice ◽

10.1200/jop.2015.008672 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. e338-e343 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Mehra Golshan ◽

Katya Losk ◽

Melissa A. Mallory ◽

Kristen Camuso ◽

Linda Cutone ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Patient Outcomes ◽

Cancer Center ◽

Immediate Reconstruction ◽

Reconstruction Surgery ◽

Surgical Services ◽

Breast Surgeon ◽

Time Period ◽

Surgical Teams ◽

The Impact ◽

Surgical Clinic

Purpose: Mastectomy with immediate reconstruction (MIR) requires coordination between breast and reconstructive surgical teams, leading to increased preoperative delays that may adversely impact patient outcomes and satisfaction. Our cancer center established a target of 28 days from initial consultation with the breast surgeon to MIR. We sought to determine if a centralized breast/reconstructive surgical coordinator (BRC) could reduce care delays. Methods: A 60-day pilot to evaluate the impact of a BRC on timeliness of care was initiated at our cancer center. All reconstructive surgery candidates were referred to the BRC, who had access to surgical clinic and operating room schedules. The BRC worked with both surgical services to identify the earliest surgery dates and facilitated operative bookings. The median time to MIR and the proportion of MIR cases that met the time-to-treatment goal was determined. These results were compared with a baseline cohort of patients undergoing MIR during the same time period (January to March) in 2013 and 2014. Results: A total of 99 patients were referred to the BRC (62% cancer, 21% neoadjuvant, 17% prophylactic) during the pilot period. Focusing exclusively on patients with a cancer diagnosis, an 18.5% increase in the percentage of cases meeting the target (P = .04) and a 7-day reduction to MIR (P = .02) were observed. Conclusion: A significant reduction in time to MIR was achieved through the implementation of the BRC. Further research is warranted to validate these findings and assess the impact the BRC has on operational efficiency and workflows.

Download Full-text

Suicide Among Breast Cancer Patients Who Have Had Reconstructive Surgery: A Population-Based Study

Psychosomatics ◽

10.1176/appi.psy.48.2.178 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 48 (2) ◽

pp. 178-179 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Anthony P. Polednak

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Reconstructive Surgery ◽

Population Based ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Population Based Study

Download Full-text

Aesthetic outcome and patient’s quality of life in breast cancer patients undergoing mastectomy with or without immediate reconstruction.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2021.39.15_suppl.e12587 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. e12587-e12587

Author(s):

Sidra Afzal ◽

Asad Parvaiz ◽

Nida Javed

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Well Being ◽

Mean Difference ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Immediate Reconstruction ◽

Patient’S Satisfaction ◽

Group A ◽

The Mean ◽

Group B

e12587 Background: : Although post mastectomy Immediate breast reconstruction has shown to improve physical and psychosocial well-being of breast cancer patients, this is not a usual procedure in Pakistan due to limited resources and lack of awareness. The aim of our study is to evaluate patient’s satisfaction/ aesthetic outcomes between the patients undergoing mastectomy alone (Group A) and the ones undergoing mastectomy followed by immediate reconstruction (Group B). Methods: This is a prospective study conducted at Shaukat Khanum Hospital Pakistan comparing aesthetic outcome, patient’s satisfaction and Quality of life between two groups using Breast Q module. All patients undergoing mastectomy with and without reconstruction between April 2017 to July 2019 are included. Sample size of 84 was calculated (42 in each group). Results: The mean Q score of satisfaction with the breast in group B is 82.64 and in group A is 35.82 (P = 0.001). The mean Q score of Psychosocial well-being in group B is 89 vs 44.95 in group A (P = 0.001). The mean Q score of Physical well-being in group B is 98.23 vs 90.41 in group A (P = 0.002). The mean Q score of sexual well-being in group B is 81.93 vs 43 in Group A (P = 0.001). [Mean difference in score of 5-10 - little change, 10-20 - moderate change, > 20 - significant change].The mean difference between two groups in satisfaction with breast , psychosocial well-being and sexual well-being is more than 20 with a statistically significant p-value, while in physical well-being the mean difference is 7.8 which falls in little change group. Conclusions: Our study shows that reconstruction helps breast cancer patients in providing comprehensive care in a manner that they achieve a higher satisfaction with their appearance, psychological and sexual well-being without compromising oncological safety and this should be practiced more in our country. Also patients education about these procedures should be raised to help them fighting against this disease

Download Full-text

The feasibility of same day pegfilgrastim-cbqv administration in breast cancer patients receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy regimens at a northern Virginia cancer center.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2021.39.15_suppl.e18687 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. e18687-e18687

Author(s):

Maya Leiva ◽

Angela Pennisi ◽

Kathleen Kiernan Harnden ◽

Patricia Conrad Rizzo ◽

Lauren Ann Mauro

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Standard Of Care ◽

Secondary Prophylaxis ◽

Small Sample ◽

Cancer Center ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Curative Intent ◽

Myelosuppressive Chemotherapy

e18687 Background: The long-acting injectable G-CSF, pegfilgrastim and its biosimilars have historically been given to patients 24 hours following the administration of myelosuppressive chemotherapy for either primary or secondary prophylaxis of febrile neutropenia (FN). Previous literature has indicated that pegfilgrastim administration prior to 24 hours post chemotherapy, may result in a deepened and prolonged neutropenia due to the increase in circulating granulocytes exposed to chemotherapy. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and to reduce potential SAR-CoV-2 exposure to cancer patients on therapy, we implemented same day administration of injectable pegfilgrastim-cbqv among select breast cancer patients receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy regimens from March 2020 – February 2021. Methods: Utilizing retrospective EHR chart reviews, 55 patients among 4 medical oncologists in our breast cancer group were identified as meeting the criteria of same day pegfilgrastim-cbqv administration. Inclusion was based on completion of at least 2 consecutive cycles of same day pegfilgrastim-cbqv 6 mg subcutaneous injection for primary or secondary prophylaxis. The selected patient charts were reviewed for the incidence and severity of FN. Among the patients who had documented FN, further subgroup analyses were done regarding baseline characteristics, timing of neutropenia, regimens, regimen sequence, and reported ADRs associated with pegfilgrastim-cbqv. Results: 9 (16.4%) of the 55 patients experienced FN (Grades 3-4) and 6 (10.9%) patients were hospitalized. There were no Grade 5 events and none had therapy discontinued due to FN. 8 (88.9%) of the patients experienced FN between cycles 1 and 2. Of note, there were no cases of COVID-19 among the 9 patients who had an episode of FN. 52 (94.5%) of the 55 patients received treatment with curative intent and 3 (5.5%) had metastatic disease on a subsequent line of therapy. The median age was 49.1 years (range 29-71) and patients were 56.4% Caucasian, 18.1% Black or African American, 12.7% Asian, and 12.7% Hispanic/Latina. Conclusions: Based on the retrospective data analysis, same day pegfilgrastim-cbqv appears to be a safe and effective option in the primary and secondary prophylaxis of FN with myelosuppressive standard of care chemotherapy used in breast cancer treatment. Though our review was limited by a relatively small sample size and confined to younger (49.1 median age) breast cancer patients, this opens the door to further re-evaluation of same day pegfilgrastim-cbqv administration in other patient populations. In a post pandemic treatment world, this slight change in practice has the potential to reduce patient financial toxicity associated with multiple medical visits, provide an alternative to on-body injector formulations, and ensure treatment adherence.

Download Full-text