Multidisciplinary Approaches to Chest Wall Recurrences of Breast Cancer

Abstract

The management of postmastectomy chest wall recurrences of breast cancer has long challenged clinicians. A tissue diagnosis combined with proper imaging and staging of patients to ensure the disease is localized are the first steps in management. Multimodal therapy offers patients the best chances of cure. In properly selected patients, complete surgical resection to negative margins, including full-thickness chest wall resection when required, followed by reconstruction that is well planned, can provide local control with very low surgical mortality and acceptable morbidity. Radiation therapy provides additional local control, while systemic therapy is an adjunct that prolongs survival in many cases. Multidisciplinary care combined with careful patient selection are the keys to successful chest wall resection for locally recurrent breast cancer after mastectomy.