Abstract
Objective:The controversy remains as to whether immediate prosthetic breast reconstruction with postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) is associated with acceptable complications and aesthetic outcomes. The aim of this meta-analysis was to provide a pooled analysis of comparative clinical studies that evaluated breast cancer patients who were treated with a mastectomy and an immediate prosthetic breast reconstruction to compare the complications and satisfaction of those who underwent or did not undergo PMRT.Methods:According to the recommendations of the Cochrane Collaboration, we established a rigorous study protocol. We performed a systematic electronic search of the PubMed and Embase databases to identify articles for inclusion in our meta-analysis. Reconstruction failure, overall complications, capsular contracture, and patient satisfaction were analyzed individually.Results:Fifteen controlled trials were included, comprising 5314 patients (1069 PMRT vs 4245 non-PMRT). Primary outcomes revealed a statistically significant increase in overall complications [odds ratio (OR) 3.45; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 2.62–4.54; P < .00001], reconstruction failure (OR: 2.59; 95% CI 1.46–4.62; P = .001), and capsular contracture (OR: 5.26, 95% CI: 2.73–10.13, P < .00001) after receiving PMRT.Conclusion:Our review found that PMRT for patients who underwent immediate implant-based breast reconstruction led to higher risks of reconstruction failure, overall complications, and capsular contracture. However, it is still the standard adjuvant therapy for mastectomy patients who have opted for immediate implant-based breast reconstruction.
Highlights
Radiation therapy is the standard of care for breast cancer treatment following lumpectomy.[1]
Studies were included if they met each of the following criteria: it was a comparative study, and the study sample was separated into groups based on the use or nonuse of postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) among patients with immediate implant breast reconstructions
The analysis found a significant positive correlation between receiving PMRT and the formation of capsular contractures (OR: 5.26, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 2.73–10.13, P < .00001)
Summary
Radiation therapy is the standard of care for breast cancer treatment following lumpectomy.[1] It may be utilized either following lumpectomy or after mastectomy, and postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) in patients with locally advanced breast cancer has been demonstrated to improve both local control and Editor: Yufang Ma. Authorship: DLF and SLW contributed substantially to the conception and design of this study, and they approved the final version for publication. YP and TCM contributed to the analysis, interpreted all of the data, and drafted the article. YP critically revised the article for important intellectual content. The authors have no conflict of interest
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
