Influence of skin sparing in conservative surgery for breast cancer on the rates of local and distant recurrence - Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia

PURPOSE: to evaluate the local, regional and distant recurrence rate of a new surgical technique for the conservative treatment of the breast cancer in early stages. The technique is based on breast segmental resection with axillary dissection and skin sparing by a single periareolar incision. METHODS: one hundred and nineteen patients with breast cancer stages I and II constituted the present study. The study group comprised fifty-seven patients who were submitted to surgery by the proposed technique, while 62 patients submitted to the classic quadrantectomy constituted the control group. Postoperative radiotherapy and boost were perfomed in both groups. The average follow-up was 50.1 months for the study group and 51.2 months for the control group. The rates of recurrence, global survival and disease-free survival were analyzed and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: the rate of local recurrence in the period was 3.5% for the study group and 4.8% for the control group. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups as to disease-free survival and global survival rates. CONCLUSION: we demonstrated that the technique of segmental resection with axillary dissection by a single periareolar incision, preserving skin, did not show difference in relation to the classic quadrantectomy, regarding rates of recurrence, global survival and disease-free survival.