Influence of Breast Reduction Surgery on Long-Term Breast Cancer Risk in Austria

Abstract

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Breast reduction surgery is one of the most frequently performed surgeries amongst plastic and reconstructive surgeons worldwide. Previous studies have shown decreased risk of breast cancer development in women undergoing breast reduction surgery of up to 28%. We aimed to evaluate the relative risk of breast cancer development in our patients after breast reduction surgery in relation to the general female population of Austria. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A total of 637 women underwent breast reduction surgery between 2003 and 2017 at our department. From those women, 513 patients completed a follow-up assessment of breast cancer development and were included into the study sample. The age-specific incidence rate data of the general female population of Austria served as the control group and basis for the calculation of the standardized incidence ratio (SIR) and Poisson test. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Relative to 5.66 expected cases of breast cancer, our cohort showed 1 subject with breast cancer after breast reduction surgery (SIR = 0.1765). An exact Poisson test was carried out to determine the level of significance of the difference between the incidence rate observed in the sample compared to the expected rate based on the age-specific incidence rates of the general population (<i>p</i> = 0.023, <i>α</i> = 0.05). <b><i>Discussion:</i></b> Our study underlines the strong evidence of previous studies for significant breast cancer reduction in patients after reductive mammoplasty. In comparison to the general female population of Austria, our cohort showed a reduction in breast cancer incidence of about 82%. The authors believe that different techniques in reduction mammoplasty have different levels of safety regarding the prevention and risk reduction for breast cancer. Further investigation must be conducted to evaluate the reduction of breast cancer risk with different surgical techniques.

Breast Cancer After Reduction Mammoplasty: A Population-Based Analysis of Incidence, Treatment and Screening Patterns

“… 3 Similarly, a recent population-based analysis of 637 women who underwent breast reduction surgery between 2003 and 2017 in Austria found that there was a reduction in breast cancer incidence of approximately 82% after breast reduction. 10 …”

Impact of Oncoplastic Surgery on Oncologic Outcomes in Patients with Breast Cancer

“… 32 Similarly, a recent study by Niepel et al found a reduction in breast cancer incidence of 82% in women who underwent breast reduction surgery compared with the general population. 33 Breast reduction may serve as an acceptable alternative for many women who do not wish to pursue more aggressive measures, such as prophylactic mastectomy. The principle of removing additional breast tissue resulting in improved oncologic outcomes, specifically breast cancer risk reduction, seems to hold true for both patients who undergo breast reduction or those who receive OPS.…”