Immediate Breast Reconstruction in De Novo Metastatic Breast Cancer: An Analysis of 563 Cases Based on the SEER Database.

BACKGROUND: Controversy exists regarding the appropriateness of immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS: By using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, data of patients with de novo MBC undergoing mastectomy with or without IBR were assessed. The trend of IBR in de novo MBC was explored. Comparisons of the distribution of clinicopathologic characteristics were evaluated by chi-square and Fisher exact tests. The predictors of IBR in de novo MBC were evaluated by multivariate logistic regression. The survival outcomes were compared by Cox hazards models adjusting for known clinicopathologic variables in both the entire population and in the matched cohorts.

RESULTS: Between 1998 and 2015, 5.2% of patients with de novo MBC undergoing mastectomy received IBR. The rate of IBR increased significantly, from 6.3% in 1998 to 16.8% in 2015. Patients undergoing IBR were younger and had smaller tumor size, fewer positive lymph nodes, lower proportion of hormone receptor-negative disease and lung metastasis, and better economic status. They were also more likely to receive radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Although IBR was an independent favorable prognostic factor for breast cancer-specific survival and overall survival in the whole population, there were no statistically significant differences between IBR and mastectomy for breast cancer-specific survival (P = .892) and overall survival (P = .708) in the well-matched analysis.

CONCLUSION: IBR in selected de novo MBC could be an acceptable practice when balancing quality of life, underlying health care burden, and oncologic risks.