OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) combined with warm acupuncture in treating breast cancer associated with upper limb lymphedema (BCRL). METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study using a paired control design. Fifty-two BCRL patients were assigned to the control group (27 cases) and the treatment group (25 cases). The patients in the control group were treated with lymphedema comprehensive detumescence treatment (CDT) for 4 weeks, including systematic therapy composed of manual lymphatic drainage, compression bandage, skincare, and functional exercise. The patients in the treatment group were treated with TEAS combined with warm acupuncture based on the control group methods. Each treatment lasted for 30 min and was applied twice a week for 4 weeks. The arm circumference (AC) of different positions of the affected limb and the degree of swelling of the affected limb were evaluated before the first treatment and after the last treatment. The clinical efficacy was evaluated according to the degree of edema before and after treatment. All adverse events during treatment were recorded. RESULTS: The patients' AC and the swelling feeling of the affected limb in the treatment group and the control group were both reduced compared with those before treatment. Compared with the control group, AC of the wrist joint transverse stria, the midpoint between the wrist joint transverse stria and the elbow joint transverse stria in the treatment group were significantly reduced (P<0.05). The decrease in AC diameter at the midpoint between the elbow joint transverse stria and the axillary transverse stria was the most significant (P<0.01). The swelling degree of the affected limbs in the treatment group was significantly lower than before treatment, and was significantly lower compared with the control group after treatment (P<0.01). The total effective rate was 72% in the treatment group, significantly higher than that in the control group (55.56%, P<0.05). No serious adverse events occured in either group. CONCLUSIONS TEAS combined with warm acupuncture can effectively reduce AC and swelling feeling of the affected limb in patients with BCRL. The effect is better than that of CDT therapy alone. (Registration No. ChiCTR2200062075).
Humans ; Female ; Breast Neoplasms/therapy* ; Acupuncture Points ; Retrospective Studies ; Lymphedema/complications* ; Acupuncture Therapy/adverse effects* ; Upper Extremity ; Treatment Outcome

Objective: To investigate the oncologic and surgical safety of the fused fascia method for immediate breast reconstruction with implants. Methods: The clinical data of 343 patients with immediate breast reconstruction with implants in Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital from 2014-2017 were retrospectively analyzed to compare the 5-year local recurrence-free survival, 5-year disease-free survival and 5-year overall survival of patients with breast reconstruction by fusion fascia and other methods, and to analyze the complication incidences of implant removal between different implant groups. Results: Of the 343 patients with breast reconstruction, 95 were in the fused fascia group (fascia group) and 248 were in the non-fascia group (25 in the bovine pericardial patch group and 223 in the muscle flap group). At a median follow-up of 49 months, the differences in 5-year local recurrence-free survival (90.1% and 94.9%, respectively), 5-year disease-free survival (89.2% and 87.6%, respectively), and 5-year overall survival (95.2% and 95.1%, respectively) between patients in the fascial and non-fascial groups were not statistically significant (P>0.05). The complication incidence of implant removal was 24.0% (6/25) in the patch group and 2.1% (2/95) and 2.2% (5/223) in the fascia and muscle flap groups, respectively. Conclusion: Immediate breast reconstruction with fused fascial combined with implant is safe and feasible, less invasive than muscle flaps, more economical and with fewer complications than patches.
Humans ; Animals ; Cattle ; Female ; Mastectomy/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Breast Implants/adverse effects* ; Feasibility Studies ; Mammaplasty/methods* ; Breast Neoplasms/complications* ; Treatment Outcome ; Postoperative Complications/surgery*

Objective: To examine the application of volume replacement techniques in breast conserving surgery for breast cancer. Methods: The clinic data of 76 breast cancer patients underwent a breast conserving surgery with volume replacement techniques at the Breast Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, from June 2019 to June 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. All patients were female, aged (42.6±6.4) years (range: 32 to 56 years). Tumor staging inlcuded stage ⅡA in 36 cases, stage ⅡB in 24 cases, stage ⅢA in 12 cases, stage ⅢB in 4 cases. Three types of techniques included the lateral thoracic adipofascial flaps in 47 cases, the upper abdominal wall adipofascial flaps in 22 cases and the latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap in 7 cases. The specimen volume of tumor expansion resection in breast conserving surgery was measured, while the operative time used for volume replacement techniques, postoperative drainage retention time, postoperative complications and patients' satisfaction with the breast shape were recorded. Results: The specimen volume of tumor was (100.9±24.2) ml (range: 55 to 157 ml) in lateral thoracic adipofascial flap group, (88.4±14.5) ml (67 to 118 ml) in upper abdominal wall adipofascial flap group, (179.7±22.9) ml (range: 155 to 220 ml) in latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap group. The operative time used to restore the breast shape of the three groups were (52.9±9.0) minutes (range: 45 to 70 minutes), (63.2±8.8) minutes (range: 50 to 70 minutes) and (99.3±3.4) minutes (range: 95 to 105 minutes), respectively. The postoperative drainage retention times of the three groups were (8.6±1.2) days (range: 7 to 10 days), (9.4±0.9) days (range: 8 to 10 days) and (11.4±1.3) days (range: 10 to 13 days), respectively. All the 76 patients were evaluated for their satisfaction with the cosmetic outcomes, 64 patients (84.2%) were strongly satisfied and 12 patients (15.8%) were generally satisfied. The postoperative complications included fat liquefaction in 6 cases (2 cases in the lateral thoracic adipofascial flap group and 4 cases in the upper abdominal adipofascial flap group) and seroma in 4 cases (each 2 cases in the lateral thoracic adipofascial flap group and the latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap group). Conclusions: For patients with large tissue loss during breast conserving surgery, the corresponding volume replacement techniques, including lateral thoracic adipofascial flaps, upper abdominal wall adpofascial flaps and latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flaps, should be reasonably selected for repair according to the tumor site and the size of the intraoperative breast loss, which can ensure the original volume and shape of the breast, with controllable postoperative complications.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Breast Neoplasms/surgery* ; Mastectomy, Segmental ; Retrospective Studies ; Breast ; Postoperative Complications

Objective: To investigate the histopathological and immunohistochemical characteristics of benign apocrine cystic papillary hyperplasia of the breast with loss of myoepithelial cell layer. Methods: The clinical data, histopathological features and immunohistochemical profile of patients with benign apocrine cystic papillary hyperplasia of breast with loss of myoepithelial cell layer from January 2016 to December 2021 were examined, in which six patients were identified. Results: All six patients were female, aged 36-61 years (median 46 years), who presented with a breast mass; three cases were from the left breast and three cases were from the right breast. Microscopic examination of all cases showed breast hyperplasia with apocrine cysts, accompanied by different degrees of micropapillary and papillary hyperplasia of apocrine cells. One case was associated with lobular carcinoma in situ, and one case was associated with apocrine ductal carcinoma in situ with intraductal dissemination in adenosis. Immunohistochemical staining of CK5/6, p63, SMA, SMMHC, Calponin and CD10 showed complete absence of myoepithelial cell layer surrounding ducts in apocrine cystic papillary hyperplasia. Conclusions: The myoepithelial cells of apocrine cystic papillary hyperplasia of the breast may undergo abnormal changes and may even be completely lost. The diagnosis should be comprehensively considered along with cytomorphological and histological features to avoid overdiagnosis.
Female ; Humans ; Epithelial Cells/pathology* ; Hyperplasia/pathology* ; Papilloma/pathology* ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Mammary Glands, Human/pathology* ; Breast Neoplasms/pathology* ; Carcinoma, Lobular/complications* ; Carcinoma, Ductal/complications*

Breast cancer and lung cancer are the two most common malignancies in China. With the continuous improvement of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment technology, the survival time of breast cancer patients has been prolonged, and the number of breast cancer patients with second primary lung cancer (SPLC) has increased. In addition, breast cancer is the most common primary cancer in female patients with SPLC, and SPLC is the main cause of death in this population. More and more physicians pay attention to this clinical phenomenon. This paper summarized the risk and risk factors of SPLC in breast cancer patients, and elaborated its pathogenesis, in order to provide a theoretical basis for the clinical management of breast cancer patients and achieve accurate early intervention as soon as possible.
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Humans ; Female ; Lung Neoplasms/pathology* ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/pathology* ; Breast Neoplasms/complications* ; Neoplasms, Second Primary/pathology* ; Risk Factors

Breast Neoplasms/metabolism* ; COVID-19/complications* ; China/epidemiology* ; Female ; Humans ; SARS-CoV-2/pathogenicity*

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) is a special type of breast cancer that occurs during pregnancy and within 1 year after childbirth. With the rapid social development and the adjustment of reproductive policies in China, the average age of females at first childbirth is increasing, which is expected to lead to an increase in the incidence of PABC. This study aimed to accumulate clinical experience and to investigate and summarize the prevalence, diagnosis, and treatment of PABC based on large multicenter samples in China. METHODS: According to the Chinese Society of Breast Surgery, a total of 164 patients with PABC in 27 hospitals from January 2016 to December 2018 were identified. The pregnancy status, clinicopathological features, comprehensive treatment methods, and outcomes were retrospectively analyzed. Survival curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: A total of 164 patients of PABC accounted for 0.30% of the total number of cases in the same period; of which, 83 patients were diagnosed during pregnancy and 81 patients during lactation. The median age of PABC was 33 years (24-47 years). Stage I patients accounted for 9.1% (15/164), stage II 54.9% (90/164), stage III 24.4% (40/164), and stage IV 2.4% (4/164). About 9.1% (15/164) of patients were luminal A. Luminal B patients accounted the most (43.3% [71/164]). About 15.2% (25/164) of patients were human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her-2) overexpression and 18.9% (31/164) of patients were triple-negative breast cancer. For pregnancy breast cancer, 36.1% (30/83) of patients received direct surgery and 20.5% (17/83) received chemotherapy during pregnancy. About 31.3% (26/83) chose abortion or induction of labor. The median follow-up time was 36 months (3-59 months); 11.0% (18/164) patients had local recurrence or distant metastasis and 3.0% (5/164) died. CONCLUSIONS It is safe and feasible to standardize surgery and chemotherapy for PABC.
Adult ; Breast Neoplasms/epidemiology* ; China/epidemiology* ; Female ; Humans ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: Although surgery is the most frequently implemented treatment modality for breast cancer, many older patients with breast cancer are under- or untreated because of their high incidence of postoperative complications. We assessed the efficacy and safety of breast surgery under procedural sedation in older patients (aged >70 years) by comparing selected clinical and oncologic factors after surgery for breast cancer under general anesthesia versus procedural sedation. METHODS: Of 79 older patients with breast cancer, 49 underwent breast-conserving surgery, 30 under general anesthesia and 19 under procedural sedation, and relevant clinical and oncologic variables were compared and analyzed between groups. RESULTS: The mean age was younger in the general anesthesia group and the mean operation time, hospital stay, and fasting time shorter in the procedural sedation group. There were no statistically significant differences in oncologic results between the two groups during follow-up. CONCLUSION: Breast surgery under procedural sedation is a safe and effective means of reducing tumor burden in older patients with breast cancer when their American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status indicates a high risk of life-threatening perioperative complications associated with general anesthesia. And we also found that the oncologic results may be not inferior to same procedure under general anesthesia.
Aged ; Anesthesia, General ; Breast Neoplasms ; Breast ; Fasting ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Length of Stay ; Mastectomy, Segmental ; Postoperative Complications ; Tumor Burden

PURPOSE: PEAK PlasmaBlade is a recent and distinctive type of electrosurgical device. Previous studies have already documented some meaningful advantages of this device over conventional electrosurgery. This study compared the use of PEAK PlasmaBlade to standard electrosurgery in mastectomy and breast conservative surgery. The purpose was to test the impact of PEAK PlasmaBlade on the wound-healing process and on postsurgical complications in breast cancer surgery. METHODS: Sixty patients undergoing breast cancer surgery were enrolled. The PEAK PlasmaBlade was used for 20 of those. A standard electrosurgical device was used for the other 40 patients. The 2 groups were homogenous in age, body mass index, comorbidities and type of surgery. We recorded wound complications, serum drainage amount and duration of stay, blood loss, time of surgery, length of hospital stay, and total number of medications required. RESULTS: The 2 groups were not significantly different in terms of patient characteristics. A statistically significant reduction in incidence of seroma was observed in the PEAK group: only 10% versus 37.5% of the patients in the conventional electrosurgery group developed this complication (Fisher exact test, P = 0.034). CONCLUSION: Seroma is the most important wound complication in breast surgery. The research of new instruments that might reduce its incidence is desirable. In order to validate or deny the results of this study, it is necessary to enroll more subjects and to consider the impact of this device on axillary lymph node dissection.
Body Mass Index ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Comorbidity ; Drainage ; Electrosurgery* ; Equipment and Supplies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intraoperative Complications ; Length of Stay ; Lymph Node Excision ; Mastectomy ; Seroma ; Surgical Procedures, Operative ; Wound Healing* ; Wound Infection ; Wounds and Injuries*

BACKGROUND: Nipple-areolar complex (NAC) reconstruction following curative mastectomy is traditionally performed as a second-stage procedure several months after initial breast reconstruction. The recent literature has documented the increasing popularity of immediate nipple reconstruction carried out simultaneously during autologous reconstruction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the surgical outcomes and patient satisfaction with immediate breast and nipple reconstruction performed in a single stage after skin-sparing mastectomy. METHODS: All patients who underwent a skin-sparing mastectomy with immediate latissimus dorsi flap breast and NAC reconstruction as a single-stage procedure from 2007 to 2015 were included. Patient demographics, oncologic details, and surgical outcomes were recorded. The BREAST-Q questionnaire was administered to patients to assess the impact and effectiveness of this reconstructive strategy. RESULTS: During the study period, 34 breast and NAC reconstructions in 29 patients were performed at Cork University Hospital. The majority of our patient cohort were non-smokers (93.1%) and did not receive adjuvant radiotherapy. Postoperative complications were infrequent, with no cases of partial necrosis or complete loss of the nipple. The response rate to the BREAST-Q was 62% (n=18). Patients reported high levels of satisfaction with the reconstructed breast (62±4), nipple reconstruction (61±4.8), overall outcome (74.3±5), and psychosocialwell-being (77.7±3.2). CONCLUSIONS: Skin-sparing mastectomy with immediate nipple reconstruction during autologous latissimus dorsi reconstruction was demonstrated to be a safe and aesthetically reliable procedure in our cohort, yielding high levels of psychological and physical well-being. A single-stage procedure promotes psychosocial well-being involving issues that are intrinsically linked with breast cancer surgery.
Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Cohort Studies ; Demography ; Female ; Humans ; Mammaplasty* ; Mastectomy* ; Necrosis ; Nipples* ; Patient Satisfaction* ; Postoperative Complications ; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; Superficial Back Muscles* ; Surgery, Plastic