Outcomes Following Breast Reconstruction in Patients With Prior Mantle Radiation for Treatment of Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Abstract

Purpose: External beam radiation in the mantle field has been a mainstay of therapy for Hodgkin's lymphoma for decades. The incidence of breast cancer in patients treated with mantle radiation is known to be elevated. Few studies have examined outcomes of breast reconstruction in this high-risk group. The current study presents the largest series of immediate breast reconstruction in this population and aims to evaluate reconstructive outcomes and examine differences between implant-based and autologous reconstructions.

Methods: A retrospective review of records from a 10-year period at 2 institutions was undertaken. Patients treated with mantle radiation for Hodgkin's lymphoma who subsequently underwent mastectomy with immediate reconstruction were identified. Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, and outcomes including complications and operative revisions were gathered. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to assess differences between implant-based and autologous reconstructions.

Results: A total of 97 breast reconstructions were performed in 52 patients. Seventy-nine reconstructions were implant-based, and 18 were autologous. Patients with implant-based reconstructions were older than autologous reconstructions (47 ± 8.8 years vs 42 ± 6.5 years, P < 0.05). Both groups had long-term follow-up; however, the mean follow-up duration was shorter in the implant-based compared with the autologous group (5 years vs 8.3 years; P < 0.05). Otherwise, the groups were similar with respect to BMI, medical comorbidities, oncologic diagnosis, and therapy. The interval between mantle radiation and reconstruction was comparable for implant-based and autologous groups (23.4 ± 9 years vs 21.3 ± 6.1 years, P = 0.6). The overall complication rate of breast reconstruction was not statistically different between the implant-based and autologous groups (35% vs 16%, P = 0.16). Three implant-based reconstructions (3.7%) required explantation. There were no complete flap losses in the autologous group. An associated 6-fold higher rate of unplanned revisions was observed with the autologous reconstruction group compared with the implant-based reconstruction group (odds ratio, 6.09; 95% confidence interval, 1.14-32.48; P = 0.035).

Conclusions: In this study, long-term follow-up suggests immediate breast reconstruction in patients with prior mantle radiation can be achieved safely with an acceptable complication profile utilizing either implant-based or autologous techniques. Autologous breast reconstruction is linked with a higher rate of revisions compared with implant-based breast reconstruction in this study population.