Pre-operative chemoradiotherapy followed by mastectomy and breast reconstruction—A systematic review of clinical, oncological, reconstructive and aesthetic outcomes

Background

Pre-operative radiotherapy (PRT) and pre-operative chemoradiotherapy (PCRT) prior to mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction for locally advanced breast cancer have the potential to reduce radiation late-effects and expedite oncologic treatment. Recent feasibility work indicates that PCRT is safe and technically possible. Here, we present a systematic review of currently available data on clinical, oncological, reconstructive and aesthetic outcomes.

Methods

A prospectively registered search of Medline (Ovid), EMBASE (Ovid), EMCARE (Ovid) and CINAHL (EBSCO) databases was performed in August 2023. Clinical, oncological, reconstructive and aesthetic outcomes were appraised with risk of bias (ROBINS-I) and methodological quality determined (STROBE checklist) for each study.

Results

Twenty-two published articles (19 journal articles and 3 abstracts) were identified reporting the outcomes of 1258 patients with median follow-up between 19.0–212.4 months. Patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy in 20 studies. Rates of locoregional recurrence and overall survival ranged between 0–21.7% and 82.0%−98.3% respectively. Rates of flap loss or necrosis ranged from 0–7.6%. Rates of revisional procedures ranged between 1.9–35.3%. Patient-reported outcomes were reported in 7 studies and were mostly ‘good’ or ‘excellent’.

Conclusion

PRT and PCRT preceding mastectomy and breast reconstruction produce acceptable oncological outcomes with rates of surgical complication and reconstructive outcomes within normal limits, however, the majority of available studies are of low methodological quality and at high risk of bias. A pragmatic randomised trial comparing PRT versus PMRT in the setting of breast reconstruction is now urgently required to guide surgical practice.