Oncoplastic breast surgery and radiotherapy-Adverse aesthetic outcomes, proposed classification of aesthetic components, and causality attribution.

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to discuss and understand the interplay of surgical and radiotherapy (RT) techniques that potentially affect the aesthetic outcomes following breast conservation treatment. It reviews the reported cosmetic outcomes within the practice-changing RT trials incorporating varied fractionation regimes as well as sequence (before, during, or after surgery) over the past two decades. The paper importantly highlights an overall improvement in breast surgical techniques particularly oncoplastic breast conservation techniques due to dedicated and streamlined training of late. Hence, erstwhile complications or sequel of breast surgery and associated post-RT aesthetic concerns may not be of the same variety or magnitude that were noted in the past. Paper thus concludes by highlighting the paradigm shift in the breast surgical practice that will have a bearing on the accuracy of RT outcomes assessed (within or out with clinical trials) with implications as a potential research and outcomes assessment gap.