Impact of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on the safety and long-term outcomes of patients undergoing immediate breast reconstruction after mastectomy.

BACKGROUND: In breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) as a breast cancer treatment option remains controversial. We assessed the impact of NAC on surgical and oncological outcomes of patients undergoing IBR.

METHODS: This was a retrospective multicenter study of 4726 breast cancer cases undergoing IBR. The rate of postoperative complications and survival data were compared between IBR patients who received NAC and those who did not receive NAC. Propensity score matching analysis was performed to mitigate selection bias for survival.

RESULTS: Of the total 4726 cases, 473 (10.0%) received NAC. Out of the cases with NAC, 96 (20.3%) experienced postoperative complications, while 744 cases (17.5%) without NAC had postoperative complications. NAC did not significant increase the risk of complications after IBR (Odds ratio, 0.96; 95%CI 0.74-1.25). At the median follow-up time of 76.5 months, 36 patients in the NAC group and 147 patients in the control group developed local recurrences. The 5-year local recurrence-free survival rate was 93.1% in the NAC group and 97.1% in the control group. (P < 0.001). After matching, there was no significant difference between the two groups.

CONCLUSION: IBR after NAC is a safe procedure with an acceptable postoperative complication profile.