Effect of radiotherapy on immediate breast reconstruction in patients with breast cancer

Abstract

Objective To investigate the effect of postoperative radiotherapy on breast cancer patients with immediate breast reconstruction. Methods Seventy-two patients with breast cancer underwent immediate breast reconstruction by stage of breast cancer were divided into 36 patients in the radiotherapy group and the control group, the radiotherapy group was implanted with a dilator after total mastectomy and received radiotherapy before the two prosthesis replacement; the control group did not receive postoperative radiotherapy. The early and late postoperative complications in the radiotherapy group and the control group were compared. Results Early complications: there was no significant difference between the radiotherapy group and the control group before the radiotherapy (P>0.05). Late complications: the incidence of bad wound healing in the radiotherapy group was 19.4% (7/36), and no wound healing occurred in the control group. The difference between the two groups was significant (P=0.017). There was no significant difference in the incidence of dilator displacement, cystic tissue deficiency, seroma, infection Ⅲ/Ⅳ degree capsule contracture between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusions Radiotherapy can significantly increase the incidence of late complications and poor wound healing after immediate breast reconstruction, but it does not increase the incidence of other complications, therefore, one stage dilator implantation and two prosthesis reconstruction after radiotherapy are the rational methods of breast reconstruction for patients with Ⅱ and Ⅲ breast cancer. Key words: Breast cancer; Radiation; Breast reconstruction; Prosthesis