UK Breast Units Research Articles

Current axillary management of patients with early breast cancer and low-volume nodal disease undergoing primary surgery: results of a United Kingdom national practice survey

PurposeUK NICE guidelines recommend axillary node clearance (ANC) should be performed in all patients with biopsy-proven node-positive breast cancer having primary surgery. There is, however, increasing evidence such extensive surgery may not always be necessary. Targeted axillary dissection (TAD) may be an effective alternative in patients with low-volume nodal disease who are clinically node negative (cN0) but have abnormal nodes detected radiologically. This survey aimed to explore current management of this group to inform feasibility of a future trial.MethodsAn online survey was developed to explore current UK management of patients with low-volume axillary disease and attitudes to a future trial. The survey was distributed via breast surgery professional associations and social media from September to November 2022. One survey was completed per unit and simple descriptive statistics used to summarise the results.Results51 UK breast units completed the survey of whom 78.5% (n = 40) reported performing ANC for all patients with biopsy-proven axillary nodal disease having primary surgery. Only 15.7% of units currently performed TAD either routinely (n = 6, 11.8%) or selectively (n = 2, 3.9%). There was significant uncertainty (83.7%, n = 36/43) about the optimal surgical management of these patients. Two-thirds (n = 27/42) of units felt an RCT comparing TAD and ANC would be feasible.ConclusionsANC remains standard of care for patients with low-volume node-positive breast cancer having primary surgery in the UK, but considerable uncertainty exists regarding optimal management of this group. This survey suggests an RCT comparing the outcomes of TAD and ANC may be feasible.

Abstract PO2-22-11: 'A sledgehammer to crack a nut' or 'the safer option'? Understanding decision making for and against oncoplastic breast conserving surgery as an alternative to mastectomy in women with early breast cancer: The UK ANTHEM study

Abstract Background: Oncoplastic breast conserving surgery (OPBCS) may allow women with breast cancer to avoid mastectomy, but many women continue to choose more extensive surgery even when breast conserving options are offered. Reasons for women’s procedure choices are unclear. The UK prospective multicentre ANTHEM study (ISRCTN18238549) aimed to explore the feasibility of undertaking a large-scale multicentre study comparing the clinical and patient-reported outcomes of OPBCS as an alternative to mastectomy in women offered both options. The qualitative phase of the study aimed to use semi-structured interviews to explore women’s perceptions of choice and to understand factors influencing decision making for and against OPBCS in early breast cancer. Methods: Women offered OPBCS as an alternative to mastectomy were eligible to participate in the ANTHEM study. Participants underwent their surgical procedure of choice and were followed up for 12 months. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of women who elected to undergo either OPBCS or mastectomy with or without immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) at multiple UK centres to explore perceptions of choice, rationale for decision-making, and factors influencing procedure choice. Thematic analysis was used to explore the qualitative interview data. Sampling, data collection and analysis were undertaken concurrently and iteratively until data saturation was achieved. Results: Twenty-seven women from 12 UK breast units were interviewed. Of these, 12 elected to have OPBCS with volume displacement (n=7) or replacement procedures (n=5) and 15 chose mastectomy with (n=10) or without (n=5) IBR. Overwhelmingly, women’s decisions were guided by their surgical teams and their understanding and interpretation of the information they received from them. Indeed, although provision of choice was a pre-requisite for study entry, almost a third of women didn’t feel they had been offered meaningful choice as their surgeon recommended either OPBCS or mastectomy for them. Several women described how choice was unexpected as they had automatically assumed that they would need a mastectomy and expressed delight at being offered OPBCS as an alternative. Having choice and needing to make a decision about surgery, however, was a difficult experience for some women who reported finding the process challenging. Decision-making for and against OPBCS was underpinned by women’s perceptions of three key inter-related factors based on the information they received from their surgical teams: i) the effectiveness of OPBCS at removing all the cancer; ii) perceived longer term oncological safety and iii) practical issues. Almost all women described concerns about whether all the cancer would be removed by OPBCS, the need for further surgery for involved surgical margins and anxieties about cancer recurrence over time. Women who felt reassured that OPBCS was oncologically safe were happy to accept this option. Women who remained very anxious about incomplete excision and cancer recurrence were more likely to opt for mastectomy as a ‘safer’ option. Practical issues such as the perceived magnitude of the surgery and duration of the recovery were also important with many women choosing OPBCS as a less invasive or radical option than mastectomy. While many women described preferring to keep their breast and maintaining their femininity, only a minority of women referred to the cosmetic benefits of OPBCS as influencing their decision-making. Conclusions: Women’s decision-making for OPBCS vs mastectomy for breast cancer is complex and heavily influenced by the attitudes and beliefs of their surgical team. Adequate, high-quality, accurate information about surgical options including appropriate reassurance about the short- and long-term oncological safety of OPBCS is vital if women are to make fully informed decisions and feel confident avoiding mastectomy if this is an option for them. Citation Format: Charlotte Davies, Carmel Conefrey, Nicola Mills, Patricia Fairbrother, Chris Holcombe, Lisa Whisker, Joanna Skillman, Paul White, Douglas MacMillan, Charles Comins, William Hollingworth, Shelley Potter. 'A sledgehammer to crack a nut' or 'the safer option'? Understanding decision making for and against oncoplastic breast conserving surgery as an alternative to mastectomy in women with early breast cancer: The UK ANTHEM study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO2-22-11.

First year data regarding use of Pintuition localisation device for non-palpable breast lesions in a large UK breast unit

First year data regarding use of Pintuition localisation device for non-palpable breast lesions in a large UK breast unit

The association of breast surgery ASPIRE: breast pain pathway rapid evaluation project - study protocol.

Breast pain accounts for 20-40% of new referrals to breast units in the UK and these patients have a very low risk of breast cancer. Patients have previously been assessed in resource-intensive, cancer-exclusion, one stop clinics, which are now failing to meet government targets due to excessive demand. UK Breast units are increasingly piloting Breast Pain-only Pathways (BPP) to assess these patients, and there is no consensus for the optimal pathway. The aim of this prospective multicentre study is to assess the safety and patient satisfaction of different BPPs to inform future BPP design and implementation. All UK breast units will be invited to join the ASPIRE study between January 2023 and December 2023. Units with a BPP are invited to submit their pathway for evaluation; and those without a BPP who see patients with breast pain-only in a one stop clinics setting are also invited to join the study to evaluate the traditional pathway model concurrently. Patient satisfaction assessments will be collected after their initial consultation and patient outcomes, including subsequent cancer diagnosis, will be followed up at 12 months to determine if they have cancer diagnosis after discharge to assess pathway safety.

The MARECA (national study of management of breast cancer locoregional recurrence and oncological outcomes) study: protocol for a prospective, multicentre cohort study.

Despite a UK 5-year breast cancer survival rate of 86.6%, patients may develop breast cancer recurrence within the same breast after breast conserving surgery, as well as in the remaining skin or chest wall after mastectomy or in the ipsilateral lymph glands. These recurrences, collectively termed locoregional recurrence (LRR), occur in around 8% of patients within 10 years of their original diagnosis. Currently, there is a lack of robust information on the presentation and prevalence of LRR with no UK-specific clinical guidelines available for the optimal management of this patient group. Additionally, there is a need to identify patterns of LRR presentation and their progression, which will enable prognostic factors to be determined. This will subsequently enable the tailoring of treatment and improve patient outcome. The MARECA study is a prospective, multicentre cohort study recruiting patients diagnosed with breast cancer LRR +/- associated distant metastases. Over 50 UK breast units are participating in the study with the aim of recruiting at least 500 patients over a recruitment period of 24 months. The data collected will detail the tumour pathology, imaging results, surgical treatment, radiotherapy and systemic therapy of the primary and recurrent breast cancer. Study follow-up will be for up to 5 years following LRR diagnosis to determine subsequent oncological outcomes and evaluate potential prognostic factors. This study will address the current knowledge gap and identify subgroups of patients who have less successful treatment outcomes. The results will determine the current management of LRR and the prognosis of patients diagnosed with breast cancer LRR +/- distant metastases in the UK, with the aim of establishing best practice and informing future national guidelines. The results will direct future research and inform the design of additional interventional trials and translational studies.

Evaluating a novel patient pathway to manage symptomatic breast referrals (the blue flag clinic): a longitudinal observational study.

A novel referral pathway for exhibited breast symptom (EBS) referrals to manage increasing referrals of urgent suspected cancer (USC) was implemented in our trust. We report on the safety and effect on compliance with the 2-week-wait rule (2WW). A single-centre longitudinal observational study included all patients referred to a UK breast unit during 13 May 2019 to 27 March 2020 (period 1) and 8 February 2021 to 31 January 2022 (period 2). USC referrals were assessed in a one-stop clinic (red flag clinic [RFC]); EBS referrals were assessed in a new clinic in which clinical evaluation was performed and imaging occurred subsequently (blue flag clinic [BFC]). Patients were followed up to determine the symptomatic interval cancer rate. There were 9,695 referrals; 1,655 referrals (17%) were assessed in the BFC after 63 exclusions. Some 95.9% of patients had a benign clinical examination (P1/P2), 80.1% had imaging (mammogram or ultrasound) and 4% had a tissue biopsy. In total, 16/1,655 (0.97%) BFC patients and 510/7,977 (8.2%) RFC patients were diagnosed with breast cancer (breast cancer detection rate). Some 1,631 patients (with 1,639 referrals) were discharged and followed up for a median of 17 months (interquartile range 12-32) with one subsequent cancer diagnosis (symptomatic interval cancer rate, 0.06%). Implementation of the BFC pathway increased 3-month average trust performance of USC referrals with 2WW standard from 8.5% to 98.7% (period 1) and from 30% to 66% (period 2). The BFC pathway for EBS patients is safe and implementation led to improvement against the 2WW target for USC referrals, ensuring resources are prioritised to patients with the highest likelihood of breast cancer.

Current practice and provision of oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery in the UK: results of the ANTHEM national practice questionnaire.

Oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery (OPBCS) may be a better option than mastectomy ± immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) for women with breast cancer but studies directly comparing the techniques are lacking. We surveyed UK breast units to determine the current practice of OPBCS to inform the design of a future comparative study. An electronic survey was developed to explore the current practice of OPBCS. This included the local availability of volume displacement and/or replacement techniques; number of cases performed; contraindications and approach to contralateral symmetrisation. Summary data for each survey item were calculated and overall provision of care examined. 58 UK centres completed the survey, including 43 (74%) stand-alone breast and 15 (26%) combined breast/plastics units. Over 40% of units (n = 24) treated more than 500 cancers/year. Most units offered volume displacement techniques (TMs) (97%). Over two-thirds (n = 39. 67%) of units offered local perforator flaps (LPF). Approximately a half of units (10/19) not performing LPF were planning to introduce them in the next 12-24months. A third (n = 19, 33%) of units routinely performed simultaneous contralateral symmetrisation mostly with two-surgeon operating. There were limited oncological restrictions to OPBCS with no contraindications for multifocal cancers in most centres; 65% of units (36/55) offered OPBCS for multicentric disease. Extensive DCIS was a contraindication in a minority of units. OPBCS is widely available in the UK but contraindications and approaches to contralateral symmetrisation were variable. Work is now needed to prospectively evaluate the outcomes of OPBCS vs mastectomy ± IBR to support informed decision-making.

Early UK experience of Pintuition localiser device within a representative large UK breast unit

Early UK experience of Pintuition localiser device within a representative large UK breast unit

Non-invasive screening of breast cancer from fingertip smears—a proof of concept study

Breast cancer is a global health issue affecting 2.3 million women per year, causing death in over 600,000. Mammography (and biopsy) is the gold standard for screening and diagnosis. Whilst effective, this test exposes individuals to radiation, has limitations to its sensitivity and specificity and may cause moderate to severe discomfort. Some women may also find this test culturally unacceptable. This proof-of-concept study, combining bottom-up proteomics with Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (MALDI MS) detection, explores the potential for a non-invasive technique for the early detection of breast cancer from fingertip smears. A cohort of 15 women with either benign breast disease (n = 5), early breast cancer (n = 5) or metastatic breast cancer (n = 5) were recruited from a single UK breast unit. Fingertips smears were taken from each patient and from each of the ten digits, either at the time of diagnosis or, for metastatic patients, during active treatment. A number of statistical analyses and machine learning approaches were investigated and applied to the resulting mass spectral dataset. The highest performing predictive method, a 3-class Multilayer Perceptron neural network, yielded an accuracy score of 97.8% when categorising unseen MALDI MS spectra as either the benign, early or metastatic cancer classes. These findings support the need for further research into the use of sweat deposits (in the form of fingertip smears or fingerprints) for non-invasive screening of breast cancer.

Radiation associated angiosarcoma of the breast: a pictorial review of eleven cases highlighting a devastating complication of breast radiotherapy

Radiation Associated Angiosarcoma (RAAS) of the breast is a rare secondary malignancy following breast radiotherapy and associated with considerable diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. We report the experience of one UK breast unit with a case series diagnosed over the last 22 years. Data was prospectively collected on all patients who presented with RAAS from 2001 to 2023, including photographs obtained following formal patient consent. The characteristics of the original breast carcinoma, treatment received, presenting features of the RAAS, subsequent management and patient outcomes were recorded. Eleven patients were identified, all women, with a median age of 57 (range 39–82) at initial breast cancer diagnosis. The dose of breast radiation received varied from 40 to 70 Gy (median 50), including boosts. The commonest presentation of RAAS was with recent-onset skin discolouration at a median time of 70 months (range: 53–168 months) after radiotherapy. Mammograms and ultrasounds were often negative. Diagnosis was confirmed largely by punch biopsy, and 82% (n = 9) went on to have surgery. The median survival from the diagnosis of RAAS was 13 months (range 7–101). RAAS is a devastating complication of breast radiotherapy, with poor prognosis. As it often presents after the traditional 5-year follow-up period for breast cancer, can appear similar to post-radiotherapy changes and be associated with “normal” imaging, so the diagnosis hinges almost entirely on clinical suspicion. Thus, it is important to be aware of the possibility of RAAS in post radiotherapy breast cancer patients.

Improving outcomes for women aged 70 years or above with early breast cancer: research programme including a cluster RCT

Improving outcomes for women aged 70 years or above with early breast cancer: research programme including a cluster RCT

EP.TH.166Evaluation of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the practice of axillary node dissection

AimsThe Association of Breast Surgery's "COVID-altered" guidance for management of breast cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic, includes that neoadjuvant chemotherapy was only to be used only in inoperable disease and not to downstage the axilla. Delayed presentation with increased nodal involvement was also a concern.We aim to establish if axillary node dissection (AND) increased in the context of pandemic.MethodsPatients undergoing surgery for breast cancer were identified from theatre coding in a UK breast unit. Pre-COVID (March 2018 - February 2020) and COVID pandemic (March - September 2020) cohorts were compared. Indication, tumour receptor status, neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and deviation from routine practice were ascertained for those undergoing AND. Trust Caldicott and audit department approval was obtained for this retrospective review of practice.ResultsAND was performed in 20.2% (23/114) of breast cancer operations during the pandemic compared with 18.97% (78/411) pre-COVID. Indication for AND during the pandemic and pre-COVID respectively - clinically node positive 82.6%/79.4%; positive sentinel node biopsy 4.3%/17.9%; recurrence or metastases from contralateral cancer 13%/2.5%. NAC preceded AND in 30% of cases in both cohorts. NAC for one node positive HER2+ cancer was omitted due to the pandemic and another patient had adjuvant chemotherapy omitted for a HER2+ cancer with a single positive sentinel node mandating an AND which yielded no further positive nodes.ConclusionsThe COVID-19 pandemic has not significantly impacted rates of AND in our practice. However, we identified 2 patients who may have avoided AND with normal chemotherapy protocols.

The NeST (Neoadjuvant systemic therapy in breast cancer) study: National Practice Questionnaire of United Kingdom multi-disciplinary decision making

BackgroundNeoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST) is increasingly used in the treatment of breast cancer, yet it is clear that there is significant geographical variation in its use in the UK. This study aimed to examine stated practice across UK breast units, in terms of indications for use, radiological monitoring, pathological reporting of treatment response, and post-treatment surgical management.MethodsMultidisciplinary teams (MDTs) from all UK breast units were invited to participate in the NeST study. A detailed questionnaire assessing current stated practice was distributed to all participating units in December 2017 and data collated securely usingREDCap. Descriptive statistics were calculated for each questionnaire item.ResultsThirty-nine MDTs from a diverse range of hospitals responded. All MDTs routinely offered neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) to a median of 10% (range 5–60%) of patients. Neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET) was offered to a median of 4% (range 0–25%) of patients by 66% of MDTs. The principal indication given for use of neoadjuvant therapy was for surgical downstaging. There was no consensus on methods of radiological monitoring of response, and a wide variety of pathological reporting systems were used to assess tumour response. Twenty-five percent of centres reported resecting the original tumour footprint, irrespective of clinical/radiological response. Radiologically negative axillae at diagnosis routinely had post-NACT or post-NET sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in 73.0 and 84% of centres respectively, whereas 16% performed SLNB pre-NACT. Positive axillae at diagnosis would receive axillary node clearance at 60% of centres, regardless of response to NACT.DiscussionThere is wide variation in the stated use of neoadjuvant systemic therapy across the UK, with general low usage of NET. Surgical downstaging remains the most common indication of the use of NAC, although not all centres leverage the benefits of NAC for de-escalating surgery to the breast and/or axilla. There is a need for agreed multidisciplinary guidance for optimising selection and management of patients for NST. These findings will be corroborated in phase II of the NeST study which is a national collaborative prospective audit of NST utilisation and clinical outcomes.

137 Poster - Variation in the rates of surgical treatment of older women with operable breast cancer between UK breast units: Analysis of the Bridging the Age Gap Study

Background: Non-surgical management of older women with ER positive, operable breast cancer is common in the UK with up to 40% of over 70 s receiving primary endocrine therapy. Whilst this may be appropriate for frailer patients, for some it may result in treatment failure, contributing to the inferior outcomes seen in this age group. Wide variation in the rates of non-operative management of breast cancer in older women exists across the UK. Case mix may explain some of this variation in practice.

554 Poster - Use of Hologic LOCalizerTM radiofrequency identification (RFID) tags to localise impalpable breast lesions and axillary nodes: Experience of the first 150 cases in a UK breast unit

Background: Guidewires for a long time represented the standard localisation method for impalpable lesions prior to breast conserving surgery but alternative methods are now available.

Observational cohort study to determine the degree and causes of variation in the rate of surgery or primary endocrine therapy in older women with operable breast cancer

BackgroundIn the UK there is variation in the treatment of older women with breast cancer, with up to 40% receiving primary endocrine therapy (PET), which is associated with inferior survival. Case mix and patient choice may explain some variation in practice but clinician preference may also be important. MethodsA multicentre prospective cohort study of women aged >70 with operable breast cancer. Patient characteristics (health status, age, tumour characteristics, treatment allocation and decision-making preference) were analysed to identify whether treatment variation persisted following case-mix adjustment. Expected case-mix adjusted surgery rates were derived by logistic regression using the variables age, co-morbidity, tumour stage and grade. Concordance between patients’ preferred and actual decision-making style was assessed and associations between age, treatment and decision-making style calculated. ResultsWomen (median age 77, range 70–102) were recruited from 56 UK breast units between 2013 and 2018. Of 2854/3369 eligible women with oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer, 2354 were treated with surgery and 500 with PET. Unadjusted surgery rates varied between hospitals, with 23/56 units falling outside the 95% confidence intervals on funnel plots. Adjusting for case mix reduced, but did not eliminate, this variation between hospitals (10/56 units had practice outside the 95% confidence intervals). Patients treated with PET had more patient-centred decisions compared to surgical patients (42.2% vs 28.4%, p < 0.001). ConclusionsThis study demonstrates variation in treatment selection thresholds for older women with breast cancer. Health stratified guidelines on thresholds for PET would help reduce variation, although patient preference should still be respected.

Use of Hologic LOCalizer radiofrequency identification (RFID) tags to localise impalpable breast lesions and axillary nodes: experience of the first 150 cases in a UK breast unit

To report the outcome of 150 patients using the Hologic LOCalizer RFID (radiofrequency identification) tag system, including the first reported use of RFID tags in the axilla. Data were collected prospectively from the first tag insertion (12 June 2019) until 150 consecutive patients had undergone surgery (excision date 9 January 2020). A total of 177 tags were targeted to 177 malignant lesions in 150 women. Tags were inserted an average of 7.8 days before surgery (range 0-71 days). One hundred and twenty-six tags were targeted to a single lesion in one breast only; the remainder of tags were targeted to multiple lesions in one or both breasts, as well as to axillary lymph nodes. In addition, two cases involved the use of two tags to bracket microcalcification. All except three tags were satisfactorily deployed at their initial intended target. The majority of target lesions were masses (n=142, mean size 13.8 mm), with a range of other targets including post-vacuum-assisted biopsy cavities, marker clips post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy, architectural distortions, and clipped metastatic lymph nodes. All tags were successfully retrieved at surgical excision. Re-excision rate was 8.7%. There were no tag-specific surgical complications. The RFID tag system demonstrates many advantages over guidewires, and is effective at targeting axillary lymph nodes and multiple sites within the same breast.

The Impact of Radiotherapy on Patient-reported Outcomes of Immediate Implant-based Breast Reconstruction With and Without Mesh.

To explore the impact of PMRT on PROs of IBBR performed with and without mesh. PMRT is increasingly given to improve breast cancer outcomes but can adversely impact complications after IBBR.Little; however, is known about the impact of PMRT on the PROs of IBBR, especially when mesh is used. The implant Breast Reconstruction evAluation prospective cohort study recruited consecutive women undergoing immediate IBBR from 81 UK breast and plastic surgical units. Demographic, operative, oncological, and 3-month complication data were collected, and patients consented to receive validated PRO questionnaires at 18-months. The association between IBBR, PMRT, and PROs were investigated using mixed-effects regression models adjusted for clinically-relevant confounders and including a random-effect to account for potential clustering by center. A total of 1163 women consented to receive 18-month questionnaires of whom 730 (63%) completed it. Patients undergoing PMRT (214 patients) reported worse PROs in 3 BREAST-Q domains: satisfaction with breasts [-6.27 points, P = 0.008, 95% confidence interval (CI) (-10.91, -1.63)], satisfaction with outcome [-7.53 points, P = 0.002, CI (-12.20, -2.85)] and physical well-being [-6.55 points, P < 0.001, CI (-9.43, -3.67)]. Overall satisfaction was worse in the PMRT group [OR 0.497, P = 0.002, CI (0.32, 0.77)]. These effects were not ameliorated by mesh use. PMRT may adversely affect PROs after IBBR irrespective of whether mesh is used. These findings should be discussed with all patients considering IBBR and when indications for PMRT are borderline to enable informed decision-making regarding oncological and reconstructive treatment options. ISRCTN37664281.

Breast cancer surgery in older women: outcomes of the Bridging Age Gap in Breast Cancer study.

Breast cancer surgery in older women is variable and sometimes non-standard owing to concerns about morbidity. Bridging the Age Gap in Breast Cancer is a prospective multicentre cohort study aiming to determine factors influencing treatment selection and outcomes from surgery for older patients with breast cancer. Women aged at least 70 years with operable breast cancer were recruited from 57 UK breast units between 2013 and 2018. Associations between patient and tumour characteristics and type of surgery in the breast and axilla were evaluated using univariable and multivariable analyses. Oncological outcomes, adverse events and quality-of-life (QoL) outcomes were monitored for 2 years. Among 3375 women recruited, surgery was performed in 2816 patients, of whom 24 with inadequate data were excluded. Sixty-two women had bilateral tumours, giving a total of 2854 surgical events. Median age was 76 (range 70-95) years. Breast surgery comprised mastectomy in 1138 and breast-conserving surgery in 1716 procedures. Axillary surgery comprised axillary lymph node dissection in 575 and sentinel node biopsy in 2203; 76 had no axillary surgery. Age, frailty, dementia and co-morbidities were predictors of mastectomy (multivariable odds ratio (OR) for age 1·06, 95 per cent c.i. 1·05 to 1·08). Age, frailty and co-morbidity were significant predictors of no axillary surgery (OR for age 0·91, 0·87 to 0·96). The rate of adverse events was moderate (551 of 2854, 19·3 per cent), with no 30-day mortality. Long-term QoL and functional independence were adversely affected by surgery. Breast cancer surgery is safe in women aged 70 years or more, with serious adverse events being rare and no mortality. Age, ill health and frailty all influence surgical decision-making. Surgery has a negative impact on QoL and independence, which must be considered when counselling patients about choices.

Bridging the Age Gap in Breast Cancer - Analysis of the Complication Rates of Surgery in Older Women

Background: The Bridging the Age Gap in Breast Cancer study is a multicentre retrospective cohort study examining the management of older patients with breast cancer. This study aimed to examine the selection criteria for breast cancer surgery in patients over 70 and the adverse events risk in this population. We present the adverse event risks for breast cancer surgery in women over age 70 in the UK according to surgical type. Materials and Methods: Baseline information on patient characteristics, surgery type and adverse events was collected across 56 UK breast units. Surgery was classified as major (mastectomy or axillary node clearance) or minor surgery (breast conserving surgery +/- sentinel node biopsy). Adverse events were recorded for 2 years following surgery and classified using the Common Terminology for Classification of Adverse Events system and designated as systemic or local/wound complications. Rates of adverse events were calculated and compared between surgical categories using Chi Squared. Results: Between 2013-2018, 3460 women with operable breast cancer were recruited; 2792 (80.7%) were treated surgically. There were 62 bilateral tumours, giving a total of 2854 surgical events (1321 major, 1533 minor). There were no surgical related deaths (30-day mortality). The overall rate of systemic complications was 59/2854 (2.1%) and local complications was 1072/2854 (37.6%) although 547 had only a seroma and these have been excluded from further analysis. Major surgery was associated with higher rates of local complications (22.7%) vs minor (14.7%; P<0.01). Systemic complications (cardiorespiratory, CVA, embolic) were rare (major 2.9% vs minor 1.4%; p<0.01). Conclusions: Breast cancer surgery has a zero mortality rate in this large prospective UK series with acceptable rates of morbidity suggesting that it is safe in the 80% of older women selected as fit for surgery.