Effects of COVID-19 pandemic in a breast unit: Is it possible to avoid delays in surgical treatment?

Background: COVID-19 pandemic has caused fear all around the world. With people avoiding hospitals, there has been a significant decrease in outpatient clinics. In this study, we aimed to compare and explore the first-peak of the pandemic period by studying its effects on patient applications, new diagnoses, and treatment approaches in a non-infected hospital. Methods: We collected data from the first peak of the pandemic period in Turkey, from the pandemic’s declaration (March 11, 2020) to social normalization (June 1, 2020), and compared it with data from a pre-pandemic period with a similar length of time. We analyzed the data of breast cancer patients from application to surgery. Results: The data of 34,577 patients were analyzed for this study. The number of patients who applied to outpatient clinics decreased significantly during the pandemic period. After excluding control patients and benign disorders, a figure was reached for the number of patients who had a new diagnosis of breast cancer (146 vs 250), were referred to neoadjuvant treatment (18 vs 34), and were treated with surgery (121 vs 229). All numbers decreased during the pandemic period, except for surgeries after neoadjuvant treatment (29 vs 27). Surgical treatment approaches also changed. However, the rate of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients treated with surgery was similar in both periods. None of these patients were diagnosed with COVID-19 or died during the pandemic. Conclusion: This study shows that non-infected hospitals can be useful in avoiding delays in the surgical treatment of cancer patients.

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CHANGES IN THE NIPPLE-AREOLA COMPLEX IN PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER

Problems in oncology ◽

10.37469/0507-3758-2017-63-4-593-597 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 63 (4) ◽

pp. 593-597

Author(s):

Aziz Zikiryakhodzhaev ◽

Nadezhda Volchenko ◽

Erik Saribekyan ◽

Yelena Rasskazova

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Surgical Treatment ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Molecular Subtypes ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Nipple Areola Complex ◽

Histological Types ◽

Areola Complex

The article presents data about the lesion of the nipple-areola complex in breast cancer. In 2015-2016 surgical treatment was performed in 101 breast cancer patients, different in size but with the mandatory removal of the nipple-areola complex. There are analyzed the dependence of the lesion of the nipple-areola complex from histological types of breast cancer, molecular subtypes, multicentricity, the location of tumor in the breast. The most significant criterion was the dependence of the lesion of the nipple-areola complex from the distance between tumor node and the nipple.

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Usefulness of 3D-surgical guides in breast conserving surgery after neoadjuvant treatment

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-83114-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Han Shin Lee ◽

Hee Jeong Kim ◽

Il Yong Chung ◽

Jisun Kim ◽

Sae Byul Lee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Neoadjuvant Treatment ◽

Breast Conserving Surgery ◽

Resection Margins ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Original Tumor ◽

Surgical Guides ◽

Neoadjuvant Systemic Therapy ◽

Tumor Area

AbstractWe used 3D printed-breast surgical guides (3DP-BSG) to designate the original tumor area from the pre-treatment magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during breast-conserving surgery (BCS) in breast cancer patients who received neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST). Targeting the original tumor area in such patients using conventional localization techniques is difficult. For precise BCS, a method that marks the tumor area found on MRI directly to the breast is needed. In this prospective study, patients were enrolled for BCS after receiving NST. Partial resection was performed using a prone/supine MRI-based 3DP-BSG. Frozen biopsies were analyzed to confirm clear tumor margins. The tumor characteristics, pathologic results, resection margins, and the distance between the tumor and margin were analyzed. Thirty-nine patients were enrolled with 3DP-BSG for BCS. The median nearest distance between the tumor and the resection margin was 3.9 cm (range 1.2–7.8 cm). Frozen sections showed positive margins in 4/39 (10.3%) patients. Three had invasive cancers, and one had carcinoma in situ; all underwent additional resection. Final pathology revealed clear margins. After 3-year surveillance, 3/39 patients had recurrent breast cancer. With 3DP-BSG for BCS in breast cancer patients receiving NST, the original tumor area can be identified and marked directly on the breast, which is useful for surgery. Trial Registration: Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS) Identifier Number: KCT0002272. First registration number and date: No. 1 (27/04/2016).

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