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Background: Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) now represents nearly a quarter of newly diagnosed breast cancers in the United States. Standard-of-care treatment for DCIS is aggressive local therapy consisting of either mastectomy or breast conserving surgery with radiation. However, DCIS mortality is low regardless of initial treatment, suggesting opportunities to explore a spectrum of treatment options. With these treatment options, there is the potential to create risk-adapted treatment plans, but the question of how to assess risk remains. Molecular tests can help to personalize treatment by stratifying disease sub-types and providing prognosis. One such tool is the Oncotype DX® Breast DCIS Score, a risk measure which was validated in a meta-analysis of 773 patients from the E5194 and Ontario DCIS Cohort studies. Along with calculating a Breast DCIS Score™ from the expression levels of 12 genes, the test provides a predicted 10-year risk of local recurrence from the score result, age, and tumor size for patients who receive breast conserving surgery alone. Understanding how such a tool might impact decision-making will inform its implementation. Eligibility & trial design: The ATHENA Breast Health Network is a consortium of the five University of California Medical centers. Through ATHENA, patients with histologically confirmed DCIS and no concurrent invasive cancer are approached to participate in the Athena DCIS Registry. Patients in the registry facing an active management decision are eligible to participate in the Oncotype DX® DCIS prospective study. Specific aims: The primary aim of the study is to determine whether the additional diagnostic information (i.e. the DCIS Score™) impacts patient treatment decisions and physician recommendation. Additional goals are to correlate the DCIS Score™ with mammographic findings, pathological variables, and treatment recommendations, and to estimate risk within each DCIS Score™ group. Participants and their physicians answer survey questions both before and after receiving the score to evaluate the impact of the DCIS Score™ on treatment recommendations and decisions. Statistical methods: The study will assess the percentage of patients who thought the DCIS risk score influenced their treatment decision. The study will also assess whether a significant proportion of physicians changed their recommendations after considering the DCIS Score™ using the chi-square test. Similarly, the patients’ preferred treatment option pre- and post- test surveys will be evaluated. In addition, the concordance between physicians’ and patients’ choices will be assessed by the Kappa statistic before and after the score. The patients’ and physicians’ confidence levels in their treatment recommendation and decision pre- and post- test will be compared using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test, as well as the percentage of patients and physicians who are glad they used the test. In addition, the study will assess whether the DCIS test influences a patient’s perception of their recurrence risk by comparing the self-reported 10-year breast cancer recurrence risk in their pre- and post- test questionnaires using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Current and target accrual: The current accrual across all sites in the Oncotype study is 94 patients. The target accrual for the initial pilot phase data is defined as the first 100 patients accrued. If interested in learning more about the study, please contact Rita Mukhtar, MD (Rita.Mukhtar@ucsf.edu). Citation Format: Jane M Wei, Paul Kim, Cheryl Ewing, Jasmine Wong, Laura J Esserman, Michael D Alvarado, Abimbola O Olusanya, Skye Stewart, Ashley Tydon, Parima Daroui, Jeffrey V Kuo, Hannah L Park, Karen T Lane, Eliza Jeong, Kelsey Brown, Ava Hosseini, Barbara A Parker, Sarah L Blair, Athena Breast Health Network Investigators, Frederick Baehner, Olivier Harismendy, Antonia Petruse, Carlie K Thompson, Helena R Chang, Alexander D Borowsky, Christina Yau, Gillian L Hirst, Richard J Bold, Rita A Mukhtar. Use of Oncotype DX DCIS for disease management in a prospective DCIS registry [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr OT3-09-01.

Benign metastasizing leiomyomas (BML) represent a rare phenomenon consisting of the extra-uterine spread of smooth muscle cells with similar histological, immunological, and molecular patterns to those of benign uterine leiomyomas. They are considered benign based off their low mitotic activity, lack of anaplasia or necrosis, and limited vascularization. This condition represents an interesting diagnostic and treatment challenge based on their rarity and indolent nature. Our case represents a unique finding of BML in the thoracic spine in a postmenopausal woman many years after hysterectomy and partial oophorectomy. There are currently no standard guidelines for treatment of BML, given the rare nature of this condition, with most patients treated with a combination of surgical resection and radiotherapy, followed by hormonal treatment and radiological surveillance serving as the primary backbone of current management plans. Given that these patients present a unique clinical challenge in terms of diagnosis and management, it is important to delineate and further examine these rare entities.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women in the United States. Of these women, 5–10% have an inherited form of breast cancer with a mutation in a major gene, such as the breast cancer susceptibility genes 1 or 2 (BRCA1 or BRCA2). Triple negative (the most common subtype of BRCA1-associated breast cancers) and Her2-positive breast cancer patients have more frequently been observed to develop central nervous system (CNS) metastases compared to other molecular subtypes of breast cancers. However, it remains an open question if BRCA2-associated breast cancers also have a higher propensity to develop CNS metastases. Here we report a rare case of recurrent BRCA2-associated breast cancer which manifested as orbital metastases. At the time of this publication, this is one of the first cases of BRCA2-associated breast cancer to present with orbital metastases. In this article, we discuss the diagnostic challenges and review the literature regarding this rare presentation.

Introduction: The incidence of nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) has greatly increased, owing to refinements in technique, increased surgeon comfort and the superior aesthetic outcome afforded by retention of the nipple-areola complex (NAC).1 The indications for nipple-sparing mastectomy continue to broaden as the oncologic safety of nipple preservation is elucidated.2 Incision location varies widely among surgeons and likely contributes to the complication profile associated with these procedures. While small studies have looked at complications associated with NSM,3 the preferred incision location has not been determined. Methods: A systematic review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review (PRISMA) guidelines. Search terms “nipple-sparing,” “nipple-areola sparing,” or “total skin-sparing” were used in PubMed and MEDLINE databases from January 2013 to October 2015. Studies were included if the mastectomy incision type was described and accompanied by the overall and/or respective complication profile. A pooled analysis was completed for the overall NAC necrosis rate as well as for necrosis by incision type. Results: Of the 162 studies identified, 32 studies met the inclusion criteria, and a total of 4,986 nipple-sparing mastectomies were available for analysis. Incision types were divided into 6 categories: inframammary (2,030 NSMs, 40.7%), radial (1,247 NSMs, 25%), periareolar (922 NSMs, 18.5%), endoscopic (444 NSMs, 8.9%), mastopexy/previous scar (271 NSMs, 5.4%), and other (72 NSMs, 1.4%). Thirty different incision variations were used, in total. Among the 26 studies reporting overall NAC necrosis rates (3,831 NSMs), the pooled NAC necrosis rate was 9.3%. Seventeen studies reported their rates of necrosis by incision location (1,736 mastectomies): inframammary, 11.6%; radial, 13.8%; periareolar, 18.2%; endoscopic, 17.4%; mastopexy/previous scar, 5.7%; and other, 0.0%. Conclusion: The inframammary incision has become the preferred NSM incision as it minimizes disruption of the blood supply to the NAC as evidenced by its superior complication profile. Many studies fail to report their complications as they relate to incision location. Consistent reporting in the literature is warranted as a means of further elucidating the short and long-term complication profiles associated with NSM incision location. 1. Agarwal S, Agarwal S, Neumayer L, Agarwal JP. Therapeutic nipple-sparing mastectomy: trends based on a national cancer database. Am J Surg. 2014;208(1):93-8. 2. Krajewski AC, Boughey JC, Degnim AC, et al. Expanded Indications and Improved Outcomes for Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy Over Time. Ann Surg Oncol. 2015;22(10):3317-23. 3. Colwell AS, Tessler O, Lin AM, et al. Breast reconstruction following nipple-sparing mastectomy: predictors of complications, reconstruction outcomes, and 5-year trends. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2014;133(3):496-506. Citation Format: Santos PJF, Daar DA, Mowlds DS, Wirth GA, Lane KT. An update on trends in nipple-sparing mastectomy incision locations: A systematic review of the literature with pooled analysis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-13-15.

Regional lymph node status is an important prognostic factor for patients with breast cancer and melanoma. Sentinel lymph node dissection (SLND) is used to determine lymph node status in the surgical staging of the clinically negative axilla in patients with clinical stage I, stage IIA, stage IIB, or stage IIIA T3, N1, M0 breast cancer. SLND is also indicated in patients with melanoma with Breslow depth > 1 mm. For breast cancer and melanoma patients in need of surgical staging of regional lymph nodes, SLND has significantly lowered the rates of surgical complications and morbidity compared to the more invasive complete lymph node dissection.

Nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) has gained increasing popularity as an option for treatment over the typical skin-sparing mastectomy (SSM). Proper patient selection is of utmost importance, and, in recent years, surgeons have expanded their eligibility criteria for NSM. While no standard operative technique exists, various incision locations have proven advantageous depending on patient and oncologic characteristics. Consideration of the appropriate reconstructive method must be included, and potential nipple necrosis and locoregional recurrence require diligent postoperative assessment. Enhanced coordination among all members of the breast cancer treatment team, including the patient, is essential to ensure successful treatment and recovery.

The incidence of nipple-sparing mastectomy is rising, but no single incision type has been proven to be superior. This study systematically evaluated the rate and efficacy of various nipple-sparing mastectomy incision locations, focusing on nipple-areola complex necrosis and reconstructive method.A systematic literature review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses guidelines identifying studies on nipple-sparing mastectomy where incision type was described. Pooled descriptive statistics meta-analysis of overall (nipple-areola complex) necrosis rate and nipple-areola complex necrosis by incision type was performed.Fifty-one studies (9975 nipple-sparing mastectomies) were included. Thirty-two incision variations were identified and categorized into one of six groups: inframammary fold, radial, periareolar, mastopexy/prior scar/reduction, endoscopic, and other. The most common incision types were inframammary fold [3634 nipple-sparing mastectomies (37.8 percent)] and radial [3575 nipple-sparing mastectomies (37.2 percent)]. Meta-analysis revealed an overall partial nipple-areola complex necrosis rate of 4.62 percent (95 percent CI, 3.14 to 6.37 percent) and a total nipple-areola complex necrosis rate of 2.49 percent (95 percent CI, 1.87 to 3.21 percent). Information on overall nipple-areola complex necrosis rate by incision type was available for 30 of 51 studies (4645 nipple-sparing mastectomies). Periareolar incision had the highest nipple-areola complex necrosis rate (18.10 percent). Endoscopic and mastopexy/prior scar/reduction incisions had the lowest rates of necrosis at 4.90 percent and 5.79 percent, respectively, followed by the inframammary fold incision (6.82 percent). The rate of single-stage implant reconstruction increased during this period.For nipple-sparing mastectomy, the periareolar incision maintains the highest necrosis rate because of disruption of the nipple-areola complex blood supply. The inframammary fold incision has become the most popular incision, demonstrating an acceptable complication profile.

The objectives of this study were to evaluate 1) the rate of immediate breast reconstruction; 2) the frequency of immediate tissue expander placement; and 3) to compare perioperative outcomes in patients who underwent breast reconstruction after mastectomy for breast cancer with immediate tissue expander placement (TE) with those with no reconstruction (NR). Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database, we examined the clinical data of patients with breast cancer who underwent mastectomy with or without immediate TE from 2006 to 2010 in the United States. A total of 344,253 patients with breast cancer underwent mastectomy in this period in the United States. Of these patients, 31 per cent had immediate breast reconstruction. We only included patients with mastectomy and no reconstruction (NR: 237,825 patients) and patients who underwent only TE placement with no other reconstruction combination (TE: 61,178 patients) to this study. Patients in the TE group had a lower overall postoperative complication rate (2.6 vs 5.5%; P < 0.01) and lower in-hospital mortality rate (0.01 vs 0.09%; P < 0.01) compared with the NR group. Fifty-three per cent of patients in the NR group were discharged the day of surgery compared with 36 per cent of patients in the TE group. Using multivariate regression analyses and adjusting patient characteristics and comorbidities, patients in the TE group had a significantly lower overall complication rate (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.6) and lower in-hospital mortality (AOR, 0.2) compared with the NR group. The rate of immediate reconstruction is 31 per cent. TE alone is the most common type of immediate reconstruction (57%). There is a lower complication rate for the patients who underwent immediate TE versus the no-reconstruction cohort.

Background The predictors of recurrence in ER- DCIS and the role of tumor microenvironment (TME) is unclear. Correlation of clinico-pathologic features of ER- DCIS with molecular markers and PD-L1 expression has not been done. Therefore, we under took this retrospective study comparing the clinical outcomes between ER+ and ER- DCIS and correlated this with the expression of PD-L1 in the tumor cells and the Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes. We hypothesize that increased expression of PD-L1 in ER- DCIS and TILs predict recurrence. The aim of this study was to identify biomarkers in ER- DCIS associated with increased risk of recurrence or progression to metastatic disease. Methods 50 patients with ER+ and ER- DCIS were identified retrospectively. Clinico-pathologic data was correlated with survival outcomes and local or distant recurrence. Information collected was the size, margin status, nuclear grade, ki-67 expression, architectural pattern, necrosis, and molecular phenotype. 25 cases of ER- DCIS are presented in the abstract. The rest will be presented at the meeting. ER+ and ER- DCIS will be stained for PD-L1, and lymphocyte markers CD3, CD4, CD8, FoxP3, and CD20 for the TILs in ER+ and ER- DCIS. The clinical, radiological and Immuno-pathologic features of ER+ DCIS will be compared with ER negative DCIS. Results 3/25 (12%) had disease recurrence. Two (67%) had recurrence with metastatic triple negative breast cancer with brain, hepatic and osseous metastasis within 5 years. High grade was associated with the development of systemic disease. 1/3 (33%) had recurrence as ER negative DCIS. 2/3 (67%) had recurrence as ER+ tumor. The rate of recurrence and distant metastasis was seen to be higher in high grade ER negative DCIS. Conclusions ER- DCIS has an aggressive phenotype and a distinct biology. It is more likely to present as loco-regional or metastatic disease. Identification of genomic biomarkers, PD-L1 analysis in the tumor and the TILs is currently being undertaken. The molecular drivers and immunologic markers of recurrence in ER negative DCIS continue to be an active area of exploration. Further characterization of ER- DCIS immune microenvironment may identify useful targets for immune-based therapy and breast cancer prevention. Legal entity responsible for the study The authors. Funding Has not received any funding. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Background:Circulating Tumor Cells(CTCs) have prognostic implications in patients with metastatic breast cancer(MBC).During the Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition(EMT), CTCs acquire a more mesenchymal phenotype. Hence, methodologies such as the Cell search that rely on the expression of an epithelial marker EpCAM in CTCs fail to capture a subset of CTCs undergoing the process of EMT and therefore do not adequately represent the true circulatory metastatic load. Hitachi chemicals has invented a size based micro cavity array (MCA) system that allows for the isolation of tumor cells based on the differences in size and deformability between tumor and blood cells. Photolithography and the metal plating can precisely control the filter pore size of our system. Our platform is more sensitive than the Cell Search method in detecting CTCs in Lung Cancer. Cancer Associated Fibroblasts (CAFs) are a major component of the breast tumor microenvironment. Using a micro filter capture technique, our co-authors have demonstrated that CAFs can be enumerated as circulating CAFs (cCAFs). Hitachi's Micro cavity Array System has not been evaluated in the detection of CTCs and cCAFs in patients with Breast Cancer. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that CTCs and cCAFs can be enumerated using our platform and the cCAFs can serve as biomarkers of metastasis simultaneously with CTCs. Method:We undertook a Pilot study of 20 patients each with breast cancer across Stage I, Stage II, Stage III and Stage IV. A total of 10ml of peripheral blood was obtained from each patient. Enumeration of CTCs and cCAFs was carried out by the size based mircocavity array system invented by Hitachi Chemicals. Identification of these cells was done by a triple Immunofluorescence staining for pan-CK (cytokeratin), FAP (Fibroblast Activated Protein) and CD45. CTCs were identified as CK+, CD45-, FAP- cells and cCAFs were identified as FAP+, CK- and CD 45 negative cells. Result:Our method had a high cell recovery rate (90%or higher) and efficient white blood cells depletion rate (99.99%). We present the data from a total of 13 patients in this abstract, (two with stage III and eleven with stage IV breast cancer) . Data from rest of the subjects will be presented at the actual meeting. We detected the presence of CTCs in 11/11(100%) in patients with stage IV(mean of 44) and in 2 out of 2 (100%) patients with Stage III Breast Cancer. We detected the presence of cCAFs in 1 out of 2 patients( 50%) with stage III and in 8 of 11(81.8%) (mean of 9)patients with stage IV breast cancer( Fisher's exact test p-value= 0.42). The number of CTCs and cCAFs was significantly elevated in patients with MBC and the number was clinically associated with a high metastatic burden. Conclusions:CTCs and cCAFs can be enumerated using a size based size based micro cavity array invented by Hitachi Chemicals that does not rely on the expression of epithelial markers in CTCs. CTCs and cCAFs can be detected in patients with stage III and stage IV breast cancer. CTCs and cCAFs were associated with high metastatic burden and their numbers were significantly elevated in patients with MBC. cCAFs could serve as biomarkers alongside of CTCs in MBC. Citation Format: Parajuli R, Ly R, Ziogas A, Eapen A, Lane K, Chen J, Lin E, Mehta R, Tsai A. Micro-cavity array system for size-based enrichment of circulating tumor cells and circulating cancer associated fibroblasts from blood of patients with breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-01-16.

Author(s): Chen, Jeon-Hor; Bahri, Shadfar; Mehta, Rita S; Carpenter, Philip M; McLaren, Christine E; Chen, Wen-Pin; Fwu, Peter T; Hsiang, David JB; Lane, Karen T; Butler, John A; Su, Min-Ying | Abstract: Background and objectivesTo investigate accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for measuring residual tumor size in breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).MethodsNinety-eight patients were studied. Several MRI were performed during NAC for response monitoring, and the residual tumor size was measured on last MRI after completing NAC. Covariates, including age, tumor characteristics, biomarkers, NAC regimens, MRI scanners, and time from last MRI to operation, were analyzed. Univariate and Multivariate linear regression models were used to determine the predictive value of these covariates for MRI-pathology size discrepancy as the outcome measure.ResultsThe mean (±SD) of the absolute difference between MRI and pathological residual tumor size was 1.0 ± 2.0 cm (range, 0-14 cm). Univariate regression analysis showed tumor type, morphology, HR status, HER2 status, and MRI scanner (1.5 T or 3.0 T) were significantly associated with MRI-pathology size discrepancy (all P l 0.05). Multivariate regression analyses demonstrated that only tumor type, tumor morphology, and biomarker status considering both HR and HER-2 were independent predictors (P = 0.0014, 0.0032, and 0.0286, respectively).ConclusionThe accuracy of MRI in evaluating residual tumor size depends on tumor type, morphology, and biomarker status. The information may be considered in surgical planning for NAC patients.

Introduction Multiple oncology providers are involved in the initial breast cancer treatment. To better understand the patterns and quality of posttreatment breast cancer care, we surveyed patients who had been treated at each of the 5 University of California (UC) cancer centers. Patients and Methods We identified breast cancer patients diagnosed in 2008-2009 from hospital tumor registries; invitations for the mailed survey on posttreatment care were sent between September 2011 and November 2012. The survey requested information on the number and type of provider visits, discussion of key topics, use of treatment summaries, and survivorship care plans (SCP). Results A total of 329 patients completed the survey. The mean age of respondents was 60.5 years, and they were 3.2 years since diagnosis (range, 1.6-4.8 years). A total of 82% had continued posttreatment care at a UC facility, and they reported high numbers of clinical follow-up visits, with an average of > 2 providers (range, 1-5). Surgery-only patients reported an average of 4 to 5 office visits a year; patients who received surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy reported 5 to 6 office visits a year. Overall, 45% of women reported receiving a treatment summary; receipt of a SCP was reported by 59%, occurring significantly more often among those in follow-up at a UC (P = .004). Conclusion Patients reported visits to multiple providers during their follow-up care, in excess of what is recommended by current guidelines. This was in spite of many women reporting that they had received a SCP.

Background and Purpose— Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a devastating disease without a proven therapy to improve long-term outcome. Considerable controversy about the role of surgery remains. Minimally invasive endoscopic surgery for ICH offers the potential of improved neurological outcome. Methods— We tested the hypothesis that intraoperative computerized tomographic image–guided endoscopic surgery is safe and effectively removes the majority of the hematoma rapidly. A prospective randomized controlled study was performed on 20 subjects (14 surgical and 4 medical) with primary ICH of >20 mL volume within 48 hours of ICH onset. We prospectively used a contemporaneous medical control cohort (n=36) from the MISTIE trial (Minimally Invasive Surgery and r-tPA for ICH Evacuation). We evaluated surgical safety and neurological outcomes at 6 months and 1 year. Results— The intraoperative computerized tomographic image–guided endoscopic surgery procedure resulted in immediate reduction of hemorrhagic volume by 68±21.6% (interquartile range 59–84.5) within 29 hours of hemorrhage onset. Surgery was successfully completed in all cases, with a mean operative time of 1.9 hours (interquartile range 1.5–2.2 hours). One surgically related bleed occurred peri-operatively, but no patient met surgical safety stopping threshold end points for intraoperative hemorrhage, infection, or death. The surgical intervention group had a greater percentage of patients with good neurological outcome (modified Rankin scale score 0–3) at 180 and 365 days as compared with medical control subjects (42.9% versus 23.7%; P =0.19). Conclusions— Early computerized tomographic image–guided endoscopic surgery is a safe and effective method to remove acute intracerebral hematomas, with a potential to enhance neurological recovery. Clinical Trial Registration— URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT00224770.

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of hormone receptor (HR) and Ki-67 proliferation markers in predicting the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for measuring residual tumor size in patients with HER2-negative (HER2(-)) breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).Fifty-four women were studied. Patients received AC (doxorubicin (Adriamycin)/cyclophosphamide) and/or taxane-based regimens. The accuracy of MR-determined clinical complete response (CCR) was compared to pathological complete response (pCR). The size of detectable residual tumor on MRI was correlated with pathologically diagnosed tumor size using the Pearson correlation.MRI correctly diagnosed 16 of the 17 cases of pCR. There were 8 false-negative diagnoses: 7 HR(+) and 1 HR(-). The overall sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of MRI were 78%, 94%, and 83%, respectively. The positive predictive value was 97% and the negative predictive value was 67%. For MRI vs. pathologically determined tumor size correlation, HR(-) cancers showed a higher correlation (R = 0.79) than did HR(+) cancers (R = 0.58). A worse MRI/pathology size discrepancy was found in HR(+) cancer than in HR(-)cancer (1.6 ± 2.8 cm vs. 0.56 ± 0.9 cm; P = .05). Tumors with low Ki-67 proliferation (40%) showed a larger size discrepancy than did those with high Ki-67 proliferation (≥ 40%) (1.2 ± 2.0 cm vs. 0.4 ± 0.8 cm; P = .05).The results showed that the diagnostic performance of MRI for patients with breast cancer undergoing NAC is associated with a molecular biomarker profile. Among HER2(-)tumors, the accuracy of MRI was worse in HR(+)cancers than in HR(-)cancers and was also worse in low-proliferation tumors than in high-proliferation tumors. These findings may help in surgical planning.

To assess how the molecular biomarker status of a breast cancer, including human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), hormone receptors, and the proliferation marker Ki-67 status, affects the diagnosis at 3.0-T magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.This study was approved by the institutional review board and was HIPAA compliant. Fifty patients (age range, 28-82 years; mean age, 49 years) receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy were monitored with 3.0-T MR imaging. The longest dimension of the residual cancer was measured at MR imaging and correlated with pathologic findings. Patients were further divided into subgroups on the basis of HER2, hormone receptor, and Ki-67 status. Pathologic complete response (pCR) was defined as when there were no residual invasive cancer cells. The Pearson correlation was used to correlate MR imaging-determined and pathologic tumor size, and the unpaired t test was used to compare MR imaging-pathologic size discrepancies.Of the 50 women, 14 achieved pCR. There were seven false-negative diagnoses at MR imaging. The overall sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for diagnosing invasive residual disease at MR imaging were 81%, 93%, and 84%, respectively. The mean MR imaging-pathologic size discrepancy was 0.5 cm ± 0.9 (standard deviation) for HER2-positive cancer and 2.3 cm ± 3.5 for HER2-negative cancer (P = .009). In the HER2-negative group, the size discrepancy was smaller for hormone receptor-negative than for hormone receptor-positive cancers (1.0 cm ± 1.1 vs 3.0 cm ± 4.0, P = .04). The size discrepancy was smaller in patients with 40% or greater Ki-67 expression (0.8 cm ± 1.1) than in patients with 10% or less Ki-67 expression (3.9 cm ± 5.1, P = .06).The diagnostic accuracy of breast MR imaging is better in more aggressive than in less aggressive cancers. When MR imaging is used for surgical planning, caution should be taken with HER2-negative hormone receptor-positive cancers.

Background Hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia are common conditions associated with obesity. This study provides current estimates of the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and metabolic syndrome according to the severity of obesity in men and women participating in the 1999 to 2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Study Design Data from a representative sample of 13,745 US men and women who participated in the NHANES between 1999 and 2004 were reviewed. Overweight and obesity classes 1, 2, and 3 were defined as a body mass index of 25.0 to 29.9, 30.0 to 34.9, 35.0 to 39.9, and≥40.0 kg/m 2 , respectively. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the 2004 National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute/American Heart Association conference proceedings. Results With increasing overweight and obesity class, there is an increase in the prevalence of hypertension (18.1% for normal weight to 52.3% for obesity class 3), diabetes (2.4% for normal weight to 14.2% for obesity class 3), dyslipidemia (8.9% for normal weight to 19.0% for obesity class 3), and metabolic syndrome (13.6% for normal weight to 39.2% for obesity class 3). With normal weight individuals as a reference, individuals with obesity class 3 had an adjusted odds ratio of 4.8 (95% CI 3.8 to 5.9) for hypertension, 5.1 (95% CI 3.7 to 7.0) for diabetes, 2.2 (95% CI 1.7 to 2.4) for dyslipidemia, and 2.0 (95% CI 1.4 to 2.8) for metabolic syndrome. Conclusions The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and metabolic syndrome substantially increases with increasing body mass index. These findings have important public health implications for the prevention and treatments (surgical and nonsurgical) of obesity.

There are a variety of unusual breast lesions that may mimic cancer on physical examination and imaging. Although the optimal management of many of these lesions remains debated in the literature, the developing modality of magnetic resonance imaging continues to provide clues to delineate these benign lesions from breast cancer. This review article discusses some of the unusual benign breast lesions that we have encountered and recommends the appropriate diagnostic work-up and treatment options for patients with such lesions.

The objectives of this study were to evaluate 1) the rate of immediate breast reconstruction; 2) the frequency of immediate tissue expander placement; and 3) to compare perioperative outcomes in patients who underwent breast reconstruction after mastectomy for breast cancer with immediate tissue expander placement (TE) with those with no reconstruction (NR). Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database, we examined the clinical data of patients with breast cancer who underwent mastectomy with or without immediate TE from 2006 to 2010 in the United States. A total of 344,253 patients with breast cancer underwent mastectomy in this period in the United States. Of these patients, 31 per cent had immediate breast reconstruction. We only included patients with mastectomy and no reconstruction (NR: 237,825 patients) and patients who underwent only TE placement with no other reconstruction combination (TE: 61,178 patients) to this study. Patients in the TE group had a lower overall postoperative complication rate (2.6 vs 5.5%; P0.01) and lower in-hospital mortality rate (0.01 vs 0.09%; P0.01) compared with the NR group. Fifty-three per cent of patients in the NR group were discharged the day of surgery compared with 36 per cent of patients in the TE group. Using multivariate regression analyses and adjusting patient characteristics and comorbidities, patients in the TE group had a significantly lower overall complication rate (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.6) and lower in-hospital mortality (AOR, 0.2) compared with the NR group. The rate of immediate reconstruction is 31 per cent. TE alone is the most common type of immediate reconstruction (57%). There is a lower complication rate for the patients who underwent immediate TE versus the no-reconstruction cohort.

PurposePremature peripheral vascular disease (PVD), occurring 60 years. Other significant predictors, irrespective of age, in the multivariate model included hypertension (OR 1.99, P < .001), smoking (OR 2.22, P < .001), and serum homocysteine (OR 1.27, P = .067).ConclusionsClinicians should be aware of the high risk of developing premature PVD in patients

Selective sentinel lymphadenectomy (SSL) is rapidly becoming the standard of care in the surgical management of patients with early breast cancer. Sentinel lymph node macrometastasis has been well documented in the literature to have a higher risk of nonsentinel node tumor involvement when compared to micrometastasis. The aim of our study was to determine the primary tumor characteristics associated with sentinel node macrometastasis that will allow us to preoperatively determine this subgroup of patients at risk. This study was a retrospective review of 644 patients who underwent successful SSL as part of their surgical treatment of breast cancer at the University of California San Francisco Carol Franc Buck Breast Care Center from November 1997 to August 2003. All patients underwent preoperative lymphoscintigraphy followed by wide excision or mastectomy and sentinel lymphadenectomy with or without axillary lymph node dissection. One hundred twenty-two patients had positive sentinel nodes on histology. Micrometastasis was present in 43 of these patients and macrometastasis in the remaining 79. Statistical analysis showed that a tumor size greater than 15 mm, poor tubule formation by the tumor cells, and lymphovascular invasion were significantly associated with sentinel node macrometastasis. A high mitotic count showed a trend but was not significant in our study. Patients with a tumor size greater than 15 mm, poor tubule formation, and lymphovascular invasion are at risk of having sentinel node macrometastasis. These patients can be identified preoperatively based on imaging and biopsy criteria, allowing the option of selective intraoperative pathologic evaluation of the sentinel node and immediate completion axillary dissection as necessary.

Background Both neoadjuvant chemotherapy and selective sentinel lymphadenectomy (SSL) are increasingly being used in treating primary breast cancer. It is important to determine whether SSL can be used after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and whether clinical node status at presentation affects accuracy of SSL. Study design Between 1995 and 2003, 53 evaluable cases of invasive breast cancer were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by SSL and completion axillary node dissection. The accuracy of SSL and the number of failed SSLs were assessed in the entire group and in the subset that were clinically node positive at presentation. Results The sensitivity of SSL was 96%, the negative predictive value was 96%, and the sentinel node identification rate was 94%. Of the 53 evaluable patients, 23 had clinically node-positive disease at presentation (43%) and the remainder were clinically node negative (57%). Of the successfully completed SSL, the status of the sentinel lymph node corresponded to that of overall axillary status in 49 of 50 patients (accuracy rate 98%). Two of the 23 patients with clinically node-positive disease at presentation had unsuccessful SSL. Of the remaining 21 patients with a clinically positive axilla before systemic therapy, a false-negative SSL result occurred in 1 patient (accuracy 95%, sensitivity 91%). Conclusions Selective sentinel lymphadenectomy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy is both feasible and accurate. Although early reports found a lower performance of SSL after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, this study suggests reevaluation of the current practice of full axillary lymph node dissection in this setting, particularly in those patients who are clinically node negative at presentation.

© 2014, Southeastern Surgical Congress. All rights reserved. Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer. Currently, multimodality treatment is recommended, but the optimal surgical management has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we investigated the long-term outcomes of using breast-conserving therapy in patients with IBC undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Twenty-four patients with IBC were treated from 2002 to 2006. NAC was initiated with doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by paclitaxel. In addition, HER2/neu-positive patients received trastuzumab, whereas HER2/neu-negative patients received bevacizumab. Clinical response was assessed by dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging before surgery and pathologic response after surgery. A partial mastectomy with sentinel lymph node biopsy and/or axillary lymph node dissection or a modified radical mastectomy was performed based on the surgeon's recommendations and patient's preference. All patients received adjuvant radiation. Of the 24 patients, seven (29%) underwent a partial mastectomy and 17 (71%) underwent a mastectomy. The overall survival rate for partial mastectomy and for mastectomy patients was 59 and 57 per cent (P = 0.49), respectively, at a median follow-up of 60 months (range, 48 to 92 months). Breast-conserving therapy can be considered in a selected group of patients who demonstrate a good response to NAC.

Columnar cell lesion with atypia (CCLA) is a newly recognized pathologic entity seen in breast specimens. The breast cancer risk associated with this finding is unclear, although CCLA had been found adjacent to both in situ and invasive carcinomas, but the incidence is unknown. Breast specimens from patients with a columnar cell lesion were reviewed by a pathologist for atypia. Twenty-one specimens with CCLA were identified [core biopsy (8), excisional biopsy (11), and simple mastectomy (2)]. Six of eight specimens with CCLA on core had adjacent abnormal pathology: infiltrating ductal carcinoma (IDC)/lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) (1), ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)/LCIS (1), DCIS (1), LCIS (1), and papillomatosis (2). Five of 11 specimens with CCLA on excisional biopsy had adjacent abnormal pathology: IDC (3), DCIS/LCIS (1), and atypical ductal hyperplasia/papilloma (1). Two of two simple mastectomy specimens had CCLA associated with IDC (1) and DCIS (1). Overall, abnormal pathology was found adjacent to CCLA in 62 per cent of specimens (13/21). Breast pathologic specimens containing a columnar cell lesion should be carefully examined for atypia. Surgical excision is warranted for CCLA found on core biopsy. The future risk of breast cancer based on the finding of CCLA alone requires further investigation.

To investigate accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for measuring residual tumor size in breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).Ninety-eight patients were studied. Several MRI were performed during NAC for response monitoring, and the residual tumor size was measured on last MRI after completing NAC. Covariates, including age, tumor characteristics, biomarkers, NAC regimens, MRI scanners, and time from last MRI to operation, were analyzed. Univariate and Multivariate linear regression models were used to determine the predictive value of these covariates for MRI-pathology size discrepancy as the outcome measure.The mean (±SD) of the absolute difference between MRI and pathological residual tumor size was 1.0 ± 2.0 cm (range, 0-14 cm). Univariate regression analysis showed tumor type, morphology, HR status, HER2 status, and MRI scanner (1.5 T or 3.0 T) were significantly associated with MRI-pathology size discrepancy (all P 0.05). Multivariate regression analyses demonstrated that only tumor type, tumor morphology, and biomarker status considering both HR and HER-2 were independent predictors (P = 0.0014, 0.0032, and 0.0286, respectively).The accuracy of MRI in evaluating residual tumor size depends on tumor type, morphology, and biomarker status. The information may be considered in surgical planning for NAC patients.

Purpose: The Athena Breast Health Network collaboration is a University of California system-wide project initiated with the intent to drive innovation in breast cancer prevention, screening, and treatment. This qualitative research examines provider perceptions and expectations of posttreatment breast cancer care across five network sites with the goal of better understanding provider behavior during the posttreatment phase of the cancer care trajectory. Methods: Investigators at each site conducted semi-structured interviews with oncology specialists and primary care providers (PCPs). Interviews used case study examples and open- and closed-ended questions on the delivery of posttreatment breast cancer care. Informant responses were manually recorded by the interviewer, compiled in a database, then coded and analyzed using NVivo 9 software. Results: There were 39 key informants across the sites: 14 medical oncologists, 7 radiation oncologists, 11 surgeons, 3 oncology nurses, and 4 PCPs. Care coordination was a major unprompted theme identified in the interviews. There was a perceived need for greater care coordination across institutions in order to improve delivery of posttreatment health care services and a need for greater care coordination within oncology, particularly to help avoid duplication of follow-up care and services. Participants expect frequent follow-up visits and to use biomarker tests and advanced imaging services as part of routine surveillance care. Implementing survivorship care programs was perceived as a way to improve care delivery. Conclusions: These results identify a need for increased focus on care coordination during the posttreatment phase of breast cancer care within the University of California system and the potential for system and provider-level interventions that could help increase coordination of posttreatment care. Implications for Cancer Survivors: Breast cancer survivors do not always receive evidence-based care. This research helps to better understand what motivates provider behavior during the posttreatment phase and lays a foundation for targeted interventions to increase adherence to evidence-based recommendations. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York.

With the increasing usage of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in locally advanced breast cancer (LABC), there is the need to investigate the routine axillary node dissections performed in this group of patients. Controversy exists about the utility of sentinel node biopsy (SNB), either before or after NAC. With the addition of trastuzumab in the treatment of Her2/neu-positive LABC patients, the validity of SNB in this subset population needs to be investigated. A retrospective study of 20 patients who underwent NAC for LABC was undertaken. The pathology of the axillary nodes, sentinel nodes, and primary tumor after neoadjuvant chemotherapy were examined. Twenty patients underwent NAC with doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide, followed sequentially by paclitaxel and carboplatin, with or without trastuzumab based on Her2/neu status. Post chemotherapy, 20 patients underwent mastectomy or lumpectomy with SNB with axillary node dissections. The overall accuracy of SNB was 95 per cent with a false-negative rate of 14 per cent (1/7). In Her2/neu-positive patients, overall accuracy was 100 per cent (8/8) and a false-negative rate of zero per cent. Sentinel node biopsy is a viable option in patients who have undergone NAC. Her2/neu-positive patients who had undergone NAC with trastuzumab had comparable accuracy for sentinel node biopsy in predicting axillary node status.

Hypothesis Dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a reliable and accurate method for monitoring primary tumor response in the breast and can be used as a surrogate to predict final axillary nodal status. Design Retrospective study (October 1, 2004, through February 28, 2006) of 46 patients with clinically staged locally advanced breast cancer. Setting Comprehensive cancer center. Patients Forty-six patients with locally advanced breast cancer. Interventions Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), DCE-MRI, mastectomy and lumpectomy, and axillary lymph node dissection. Main Outcome Measures The DCE-MRI results and pathologic response of the breast and axillary lymph nodes. Results Forty-six patients underwent NAC with doxorubicin hydrochloride and cyclophosphamide, followed by paclitaxel and carboplatin, with or without trastuzumab based on human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2/neu) status. Twenty-one patients (46%) had a complete pathologic response. For the HER2/neu-positive patients, the complete pathologic response rate was 70% (14/20). The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the primary tumor response in predicting the axillary nodal status were 78%, 88%, and 72%, respectively. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the DCE-MRI–measured response in the primary tumor in predicting axillary nodal status were 74%, 62%, and 82%, respectively. For the HER2/neu-positive patients, the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity improved to 80%, 75%, and 82%, respectively. Conclusions The results of DCE-MRI of the primary tumor can be predictive of axillary nodal status, especially in patients receiving trastuzumab who are HER2/neu positive. The HER2/neu-positive patients with a complete clinical response on DCE-MRI are highly unlikely to benefit from an axillary lymph node dissection. For HER2/neu-negative patients, sentinel lymph node sampling is warranted.

164 Background: Post-treatment cancer care needs improvement (IOM 2006), including use of treatment summaries (TS) and survivorship care plans (SCP). ASCO BC surveillance guidelines (2006) suggest only 1 provider needs to see patients 3 to 4 times a year in first 2 years, and every 6 to 12 months thereafter. Athena is a collaborative project designed to drive innovation in BC care among the five UC cancer centers. Interviews with Athena MDs and RNs noted visit redundancy and poor guideline adherence (Hahn ASCO Breast 2011). Methods: BC patients diagnosed in 2008-09 were recruited from UC hospital tumor registries. With UC-wide IRB approval, patients were invited to participate in a mailed survey on post-treatment care starting September 2011. A 30-page survey collected information on post treatment care including number and type of provider visits, discussion of key topics, satisfaction with care, and quality of life. We targeted 100 completed questionnaires from each site. Results: Data from the first 194 respondents are reported. Most were white, college graduates, with mean age 61 yrs, and mean time from diagnosis 3.2 ± 0.6 years. Treatments: surgery (S) only=33; S and radiation (XRT)=66; S and chemotherapy (C)=25; S, C, XRT=70. Mean number of BC follow-up care providers (2.3±1) was not related to treatment received (p=0.3). S-only treatment resulted in fewer BC specific clinic visits than C-treatment (33% vs. 45% to 58%). Of 80% who attended UC clinics, most received follow-up care every 3 to 4 months. The providers seen were: oncologists (66%), surgeon (38%), radiation oncologist (47%), primary care (40%). There were no differences in visit frequency by =3 years since diagnosis. 68% had copies of medical records; 40% had received a TS; 57% had a SCP (61% at UC vs. 41% not at UC, p=0.03). The presentation will update data with a larger sample and multivariable models. Conclusions: Patient reports confirm that multiple providers are delivering BC specific follow-up care. Visit frequency may exceed guideline recommendations, and does not reflect risk of recurrence or treatment intensity. Less than half of patients received TS, but more than half had SCP. There is room to improve the coordination of post-treatment BC care.

212 Background: The ATHENA Breast Health Network collaboration is a large scale, UC system-wide project initiated with the intent to drive innovation in breast cancer prevention, screening and treatment. An IRB approved research protocol was developed to examine survivorship care across Network sites, which includes key informant interviews at each site and patient/survivor surveys. This abstract presents preliminary analyses from the key informant interviews. Methods: Investigators at each site conducted semi-structured interviews with oncology specialists and primary care providers (PCPs). Interviews used case study examples and open and closed-ended questions on the delivery of post-treatment breast cancer care. Informant responses were manually recorded by the interviewer, compiled in a database, then coded and analyzed using NVIVO9 software. Results: There were 39 key informants across five participating UC sites: 14 medical oncologists, 7 radiation oncologists, 11 surgeons, 3 oncology nurses, and 4 PCPs. Care coordination is a major unprompted theme identified in the interviews. 85% of all participants reported using shared care coordination between PCP and oncology for post-treatment follow-up. 49% report the need for greater care coordination in general, and 28% report the need for greater care coordination within oncology, particularly to help avoid duplication of follow-up care and services. The responses demonstrate wide variability among provider types and institutions (Table). Additional analyses from this study will be updated in our presentation. Conclusions: These preliminary results identify the need for focus on care coordination during the post-treatment phase of breast cancer care within the UC system. [Table: see text]

Abstract #3141 Background: We reported high pathologic complete response (pCR) rates in patients with AC-sensitive and AC-resistant breast cancer (BC) who received trastuzumab-based chemotherapy regimens (SABCS 2004-2007). Following standard chemotherapy, pCR in 33% patients with HER2-positive breast cancer (BC) predicts 5-year DFS of 94% compared to 69% in 67% of patients with residual disease (RD)-a 25% difference (MD Anderson data). However, a similar association of DFS with pCR following trastuzumab has yet to be demonstrated. Material and Methods: A retrospective analysis of 40 patients with stage I-IIIC (6T4a-c, 9T4d, 8T3, 11T2, 6TX-1, 7 LN-negative, 33 LN-positive) HER2-positive (IHC2+ and FISH+ or IHC3+) BC treated preoperatively on and off institutional trials with trastuzumab-based regimens between 11/2002 and 10/2007 was conducted. Generally, patients received in vivo chemosensitivity-adjusted dose-dense doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (2-4 cycles) followed by paclitaxel (cremophor or albumin-bound), carboplatin and trastuzumab for 12-16 weeks. Median age was 51 (range 26-71), and 16 (40%) had HR-positive BC. Postoperative treatment included radiation based on pretreatment stage, hormonal modulation for HR-positive BC, and additional trastuzumab was optional. Results: Twenty-six (65%, 95% CI 48-79%) patients achieved pCR in breast and axilla. pCR rate was 30%, 67% and 90% (p=0.02) with increasing HER2 FISH ratio of 1-4 (n=10), >4 (n=18), and >7 (n=10), respectively. pCR was demonstrated in 50% HR-positive and in 75% HR-negative BC (p=0.17). DFS and OS of 40 patients at a median follow-up of 28 months (range 2-56) of live patients is 88% (95% CI: 73-96) and 93% (95% CI: 80-98). DFS was 95% for patients who achieved pCR and 69% for patients with RD (Hazard ratio 0.12; 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.72, p=0.022). Age, grade, tumor size, preoperative lymph node and hormone receptor status were not prognostically significant in this small series. DFS was 94% for HER2+/HR+ and 83% for HER2+/HR- BC. Of the 5 relapses, 3 patients had inflammatory (2 had brain relapse as first site), one IIIB and one IIB BC. Discussion: This is the first demonstration of statistically significant difference in DFS of 95% in 65% achieving pCR versus 69% in 35% with RD treated preoperatively with trastuzumab-taxanes following anthracyclines. The strength of association between pCR and DFS is same as that following non-trastuzumab chemotherapy. In contrast, the 2-3 times higher pCR following trastuzumab is associated with a higher DFS of 88% for overall HER+ BC despite inclusion of inflammatory and locally advanced BC, and compares favorably with adjuvant trastuzumab studies of operable BC. The association between pCR and longer-term outcome also underscores the adequacy of in vivo chemosensitivity-adjusted 12-16 weeks (short course) of trastuzumab-taxanes combination sequenced following 2-4 cycles of anthracyclines in the neoadjuvant setting. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(2 Suppl):Abstract nr 3141.

ObjectiveTraditional recommendations for peripheral arterial disease (PAD) risk factor reduction include smoking cessation, low-fat/low-salt diet, exercise, and optimal medical management of chronic disease. Little attention has been paid to the role of dietary supplementation of specific nutrients in the prevention of PAD.MethodsThis cross-sectional study used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to determine specific nutrients that are associated with prevalent PAD in the United States (US) population. NHANES data include nationwide sampling of the US population, using physical examination, questionnaire, and laboratory testing. PAD status was defined by an ankle-brachial index (ABI) of

Hypothesis Immediate transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous breast reconstruction combined with postoperative radiation therapy after mastectomy is safe and effective. Design Retrospective case series. Setting University-based teaching hospital. Patients From January 1, 1996, through December 31, 2003, 252 patients underwent mastectomy and immediate transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap reconstruction. Of those, 35 patients received postoperative radiation therapy (stage I, n = 1; II, n = 17; III, n = 15; IV, n = 2). Age range was 29 to 72 years (mean, 49.5 years). Follow-up was 1 to 8 years (mean, 48 months). Main Outcome Measures Flap loss, fat necrosis, flap volume loss, adjuvant treatment delay, and need for additional surgery. Results The rate of flap survival was 100%. Median operative time was 5.5 hours. Average hospital stay was 5.2 days. Fat necrosis occurred in 3 patients, with volume loss requiring additional surgery in 2 patients (6%). Postoperative adjuvant therapy was not significantly delayed (median interval, 32 days). With a median follow-up of 48 months, local recurrence was present in only 1 patient (3%), who underwent successful local salvage, and distant metastasis occurred in 4 patients (11%). Conclusions Immediate transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous breast reconstruction followed by radiation therapy is safe, with minimal morbidity and no significant change in tissue volume. Complications tend to be minor, not delaying adjuvant therapy. Immediate breast reconstruction should be considered after mastectomy, despite the need for postoperative radiation therapy.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) provides accurate nodal staging in patients with melanoma. However, its prevalence across geographic regions is unknown. Our aim was to determine if SLNB for melanoma has been widely adopted throughout the United States. All patients in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) cancer registry for 2004 with melanoma were evaluated. Data were collected for demographics, depth of melanoma, and type of nodal evaluation (regional lymph node dissection vs SLNB). Registry sites were categorized into West, Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast. χ2 analysis was performed to identify regional differences in receipt of SLNB. Overall, the West region (n = 2352) had a higher use of SLNB compared with the Midwest (n = 497), Northeast (n = 630), and Southeast (n = 268) regions (82.1% vs 77.9%, 65.4%, and 60.1%, respectively; P < 0.001). Intermediate-thickness (1 to 4 mm) melanomas had differences in SLNB use between the West and Midwest (83.6% and 81.4%) versus the Northeast and Southeast (66.3% and 60.2%) (P < 0.05). This population-based analysis shows low use of SLNB for melanoma in some U.S. regions. Further studies need to address the reasons for these differences and target ways to improve rates. Results suggest that SLNB may be considered as a potential quality measure.