Breast Cancer is one of the most common and well known cancers diagnosed in the United States. It can occur in both women and men, but is substantially more common in women. With increased awareness and support for breast cancer research, there have been many new advances to how breast cancer is treated. Oncoplastic surgery is a new approach for treating breast cancer while conserving the natural appearance of the breast.
Oncoplastic Breast Conserving Surgery
Janie Grumley, M.D., FACS, Director of the Comprehensive Breast Program at the Margie Petersen Breast Center, and Breast Oncology Center at the Saint John’s Cancer Institute, specializes in novel treatments such as oncoplastic breast conserving surgery and intraoperative radiation therapy. Oncoplastic surgery utilizes plastic surgery techniques to perform the partial mastectomy. The benefit of oncoplastic surgery is to allow for wider removal of cancer with immediate reshaping of the breast tissue to provide an optimal cancer operation while preserving the cosmetic appearance of the breast. This approach has been shown to reduce the need for multiple operations to completely remove the cancer and is a useful tool for removal of a larger cancer in patients who may otherwise have been advised to have a mastectomy. The added benefit to this breast conserving surgery is that patients who are also candidates for breast reduction or mastopexy (breast lift), can also have the opposite breast modified as well to create symmetry without the need for a subsequent operation.
Nipple Reconstruction
One of the challenges with a mastectomy, is when the tumor is near the subareolar, which is located just under the areolar, the colored skin around the nipple. This presents a unique cosmetic and oncologic challenge because it will require nipple reconstruction after the tumor is removed.
Dr. Janie Grumley in collaboration with collegues from her prior institution, Virginia Mason Medical Center, published Dr. Grumley’s experience with a novel treatment option for breast conservation in patients with subareolar tumors for immediate nipple reconstruction. Download the published article, Oncoplastic Central Partial Mastectomy and Neoareolar Reduction Mammoplasty with Immediate Nipple Reconstruction: An Initial Report of a Novel Option for Breast Conservation in Patients with Subareolar Tumors, to learn more!
If you would like to learn more about breast cancer treatment options or have questions regarding a new breast symptom, contact our Margie Petersen Breast Center to schedule an appointment.