Predictive factors of good aesthetic results in conservative surgery for breast cancer

Background: The aim of conservative surgery for treatment of breast cancer is obtaining satisfactory aesthetic results. Segment-based surgery, which must be followed by radiotherapy (RT), is considered the treatment of choice for most breast cancer patients. Single-dose intraoperative radiation in the tumor bed (IORT) is a promising radiation technique that is more rapid than conventional RT and less exhausting for the patient. The aim of this study was to evaluate the final aesthetic results of patients who had undergone conservative surgery and treatment for early-stage breast cancer consisting of primary closure of the operative wound and use of adjuvant radiotherapy, either conventional RT or IORT, and assess the impact of several variables on the results. Methods: Primary closure of the operative wound after conservative breast cancer treatment was performed in 66 patients. The patients were evaluated and photographed and their data collected from medical records. Results: Some degree of asymmetry was observed in 40.4% of patients. The surgically treated breast frequently appeared more aesthetically pleasing than the healthy breast, especially in patients with large breasts (P = 0.052), in whom resection of the upper quadrants improved the degree of ptosis and thus improved the appearance of the treated breast (P = 0.002 and P= 0.001, respectively). Use of periareolar incision (P = 0.008) was found to be a predictor of good aesthetic results while the comorbidity of diabetes mellitus and the use of chemotherapy were found to be predictors of poor results (P = 0.046 and P = 0.073, respectively). Conclusions: Some degree of asymmetry often results in patients for whom remodeling of mammary tissue is not possible. The factors of use of periareolar incision, large breast volume, and tumor location in one of the upper quadrants are predictors of a good aesthetic outcome, while use of chemotherapy, diabetes mellitus, and tumor location in the lower quadrants are negative predictors. Use of IORT yields aesthetic outcomes comparable to those of conventional RT in terms of extent of scarring.