Mastectomy Flashcards
What is a (total) simple mastectomy?
Removal of breast and nipple without removal of nodes
What is a modified radical mastectomy?
Removal of the breast, nipple, and axillary lymph nodes (no muscle removed)
What is a lumpectomy with radiation?
Removal of breast mass and axillary lymph nodes; normal surrounding breast tissue is spared. patient then undergoes post-operative radiation treatments
What four nerves must the surgeon be aware of during an axillary dissection?
- Long thoracic
- Thoracodorsal
- Medial pectoral
- Lateral pectoral
Describe the location of the long thoracic nerve and what muscle it innervates.
Courses along the lateral chest wall in the mid-axillary line on the serratus anterior muscle
Innervates serratus anterior
Describe the location of the thoracodorsal nerve and what muscle it innervates.
Courses latearl to the long thoracic nerve on the latissimus dorsi muscle
Innervates lattisimus dorsi
Describe the location of the medial pectoral nerve and what muscle it innervates.
Runs lateral to or through the pectoral minor muscle, actually lateral to the lateral pectoral nerve
Innervates pectoral minor and major
Describe the location of the lateral pectoral nerve and what muscle it innervates.
Runs medial to the medial pectoral nerve (names describe orientation from the brachial plexus)
Innervates pectoral major
What is the name of the deformity if you cut the long thoracic nerve in this area?
Winged scapula
What is the name of the cutaneous nerve that crosses the axilla in a transverse fashion (many surgeons try to preserve this nerve)?
Intercostobrachial nerve
What is the name of the large vein that marks the upper limit of the axilla?
Axillary vein
What is the lymphatic drainage of the breast?
Lateral: axillary LNs
Medial: parasternal nodes that run with internal mammary arery
What are the levels of the axillary LNs?
Level I (low): lateral to pectoral minor Level II (middle): deep to pectoral minor Level III (high): medial to pectoral minor
In breast cancer, what level of axillary LN has the worst prognosis?
Level III (but the level of involvement is less important than the number of positive nodes)
What are Rotter’s nodes?
Nodes between the pectoralis major and minor muscles; not usually removed unless they are enlarged or feel suspicious intraoperatively
What are the suspensory breast ligaments called?
Cooper’s ligaments
Which hormone is mainly responsible for breast milk production?
Prolactin
What is the incidence of breast cancer?
12% lifetime risk
What percentage of women with breast cancer have no known risk factors?
75%
What percetnage of all breast cancers occur in women younger than 30 years?
~2%
What are the major breast cancer susceptibility genes?
BRCA1 and BRCA2
What option exists to decrease the risk of breast cancer in women with BRCA?
Prophylactic bilateral mastectomy
What is the most common motivation for medicolegal cases involving the breast?
Failure to diagnose a breast carcinoma
What is the triad of error for misdiagnosed breast cancer?
- Age <45 years
- Self-diagnosed mass
- Negative mammogram
(>75% of cases of misdiagnosed breast cancer have these 3 characteristics)
What are the historical risk factors for breast cancer?
NAACP
Nulliparity Age at menarche (<13 years) Age at menopause (>55 years) Cancer of the breast (in self or family) Pregnancy with first child (>30 years)
What are physical/anatomic risk factors for breast cancer?
CHAFED LIPS
Cancer in the breast (3% synchronous contralateral cancer) Hyperplasia (moderate/florid -> 2x risk) Atypical hyperplasia (4x risk) Female (100x the risk of males) Elderly DCIS
LCIS
Inherited genes
Papilloma (1.5x)
Sclerosing adenosis (1.5x)
Is run of the mill fibrocystic disease a risk factor for breast cancer?
No
What are the possible symptoms of breast cancer?
No symptoms Mass in the breast Pain (most are painless) Nipple discharge Local edema Nipple retraction Dimple Nipple rash
Why does skin retraction occur?
Tumor involvement of Cooper’s ligaments and subsequent traction on ligaments pull skin inward
What are the signs of breast cancer?
Mass (1 cm is usually the smallest lesion that can be palpated on exam) Dimple Nipple rash Edema Axillary/supraclavicular nodes
What is the most common site of breast cancer?
~50% develop in the upper outer quadrants
List the different types of invasive breast cancer.
- Infiltrating ductal carcinoma (~75%)
- Medullary carcinoma (~15%)
- Infiltrating lobular carcinoma (~5%)
- Tubular carcinoma (~2%)
- Mucinous carinoma (colloid) (~1%)
- Inflammatory breast cancer (~1%)
What is the most common type of breast cancer?
Infiltrating ductal carcinoma
DDx - breast cancer?
Fibrocystic disease of the breast Fibroadenoma Intraductal papilloma Duct ectasia Fat necrosis Abscess Radial scar Simple cyst
Describe the appearance of the edema of the dermis in inflammatory carcinoma of the breast.
Peau d’orange (orange peel)
What are the radiographic tests for breast cancer?
Mammography and breast U/S, MRI
What is the classic picture of breast cancer on mammogram?
Spiculated mass
What is the best initial test to evaluate a breast mass in a woman <30 years?
Breast U/S
What are the methods for obtaining tissue for pathologic examination?
FNA, core biopsy (larger needle core sample), mammotome stereotactic biopsy, and open biopsy, which can be incisional (cut a piece of the mass) or excisional (cutting out the entire mass)
Indications for biopsy?
Persistent mass after aspiration Solid mass blood in cyst aspirate Suspicious lesion by mammography/U/S/MRI Bloody nipple discharge Ulcer or dermatitis of nipple Patient's concern of persistent breast abnormality