Breast cancer recurrence rate not up with autologous fat transfer

(HealthDay)—For patients with breast cancer, reconstruction with autologous fat transfer (AFT) seems not to increase the rate of locoregional recurrence versus conventional breast reconstruction, according to a study published online Oct. 10 in JAMA Surgery.

Todor Krastev, M.D., Ph.D., from the Maastricht University Medical Center in the Netherlands, and colleagues matched 287 patients with 300 affected breasts receiving AFT between 2006 and 2014 to 300 nonexposed control patients based on age, type of oncologic surgery, tumor invasiveness, and disease stage. AFT patients were followed for a mean of 9.3 years, including 5.0 years following AFT; control patients were followed for a mean of 8.6 years after primary surgery.

The researchers identified eight locoregional recurrences in the treatment group and 11 among the control group, for an unadjusted hazard ratio of 0.63 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.25 to 1.60; P = 0.33). In relevant subgroups based on the type of oncologic surgery, tumor invasiveness, or pathologic stage, there were no increased locoregional recurrence rates. With respect to distant recurrences or breast cancer-specific mortality, no increased risks were detected with AFT.

"In line with reported rates from other published matched cohorts, there is no clinical evidence so far to suggest that AFT leads to increased rates of cancer relapse in patients with breast cancer," the authors write.

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