Abstract
The prognostic impact of skin oedema in the setting of locally advanced breast cancer, the extent to which this responds to neoadjuvant chemotherapy [NACT], and whether the persistence of oedema represents residual cancer are not known. A prospective study was conducted in the Department of General Surgery, PGIMER, Chandigarh, between 1 August 2017 and 31 July 2018. Locally advanced breast cancer patients who had skin oedema on clinical examination and who completed NACT were included. A punch biopsy was taken from the site of maximum oedema pre-NACT. The resolution of skin changes—oedema/ulceration post-NACT—and skin involvement by histopathology of the mastectomy specimen were analysed. All 29 patients had skin oedema to start with, and 4/29 (13.8%) had skin ulceration. Ten out of 29 (34.5%) patients had skin involvement demonstrable on histopathology pre-NACT. The skin oedema persisted in 26/29 (89.7%) post-NACT, and ulceration persisted in 3/4 (75%). On histopathology of the mastectomy specimen, skin involvement was demonstrable only in 4 patients (13.8%)—3 direct skin infiltration by tumour, 1 dermal lymphatic embolus. Skin oedema clinically persisted even in 4 patients who had a pathological complete response. While most patients have persistence of skin oedema post-NACT, this does not necessarily translate into an actual pathological skin involvement.
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The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.
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Laroiya, I., Irrinki, S., Pachimatla, A.G. et al. The Significance of Skin Oedema in Locally Advanced Breast Cancer and Its Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy. Indian J Surg (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12262-023-03856-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12262-023-03856-3