Abstract

Introduction: Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among females in India. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is the standard of care for patients with LABC but its effect on post operative wound healing is debatable.

Aim: In this study we aimed to analyze the wound problems in patients undergoing modified radical mastectomy following neoadjuvant chemotherapy in comparison with patients undergoing primary modified radical mastectomy in terms of wound infection, seroma, flap necrosis, wound dehiscence, and delay in initiation /restarting chemotherapy post surgery.

Materials and Methods: We prospectively analyzed 60 patients undergoing modified radical mastectomy following neoadjuvant chemotherapy in comparison with patients undergoing primary modified radical mastectomy for carcinoma breast with 30 in each arm from june 2014 to September 2016. All patients in the neoadjuvant chemotherapy arm received 4 cycles of Inj. Adriamycin 60mg/m², Inj.Cyclophosphamide 600mg/m². Variables analysed include wound infection, seroma, flap necrosis, wound dehiscence, and delay in initiation /restarting chemotherapy post surgery. Sub analyses of the other tumor and patient factors which impact wound healing was done.

Results: In our study none of the variables analysed were statistically significant. The sub analysis of number of nodes removed and seroma formation, patient factors like BMI and diabetes showed statistical significance.

Conclusion: With the limitation of a small sample size the study concluded that the rate of wound complications in modified radical mastectomy following neoadjuvant chemotherapy is not significantly different from that of primary modified radical mastectomy.

Keywords: Locally advanced, neoadjuvant, chemotherapy, chemoradiation. retrospective.