Study: Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy May Be Risky Option

Nipple-sparing mastectomy may be a risky option for many women with breast cancer, according to a study published in the European Journal of Surgical Oncology.

For women with breast cancer who are advised against having breast-conserving therapy, a nipple and areola complex (NAC)-sparing mastectomy with immediate reconstruction is sometimes offered as an alternative to conventional, radical mastectomy.

However, surgeons are often hesitant to perform the procedure fearing recurrence of cancer in the NAC due to undetected nipple involvement of the tumor.

Researchers studied the frequency and predictive factors of nipple involvement by the tumor in the medical literature and found that nipple involvement is found in up to 58 percent of mastectomy specimens and correlates with tumor size, tumor-areola or tumor-nipple distance, positive lymph nodes and clinical suspicion.

Researchers conclude that the best candidates for NAC-sparing mastectomy are women with a small tumor at a large distance from the nipple. However, in these women, breast-conserving therapy has good results with few complications and recurrence rates.

Researchers warn that a NAC-sparing mastectomy may carry an unacceptable high risk for local relapse and should therefore not be advocated.

Other Sources: European Journal of Surgical Oncology