Nipple-sparing mastectomy for breast cancer close to the nipple: a single institution's 11-year experience

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to analyze our 11-year experience using NSM with immediate breast reconstruction in breast cancer.

Methods: Between January 2007 and December 2015, 251 NSMs were performed on 251 women with breast cancer for therapeutic purpose at Pusan National University Hospital.

Results: The clinical and pathologic mean tumor size was 3.1 cm. Based on preoperative imaging, mean distance between tumor and nipple was 2.5 cm. Among 251 tumors, 119 cases (47.4%) and 69 cases (27.5%) with a distances ≤ 2 cm and ≤ 1 cm, respectively, were detected. There were 11 patients (4.4%) with locoregional recurrences during the mean follow-up period of 68.0 months. Of these 11 cases, one (0.4%) had local recurrence in the retained NAC, and the others had recurrence in the chest wall or skin.

Conclusion: Unless clinical and histological evidence of nipple involvement, NSM can be an oncologically safe surgical option for breast cancer, even if the tumor is located close to the nipple.

Keywords: Nipple-sparing mastectomy; Oncologic safety; Tumor size; Tumor-to-nipple distance.