The Optimization of Breast Conservation
1University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
2Royal Free and University College Medical School, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
3Department of Pathology and Clinical Cytology, Uppsala University, 79182 Falun, Sweden
4Department of Surgery, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan
5Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
The Optimization of Breast Conservation
Description
Breast conservation has become a mainstay of the management of early stage breast cancer within the last 3 decades. The initial attempts included some versions of wide excision—much like wide excision of melanoma—with axillary dissection and whole breast irradiation including within the ports of all the tissues of an extended radical mastectomy. Although these early efforts at breast conservation proved to be equivalent to modified radical mastectomy, they carried with them significant morbidity and failed to take into account new understandings of the biology of breast cancer. Especially the last decade has seen many advances which have begun to change our theoretical and technical approaches to locoregional therapy of breast cancer. First sentinel node techniques are rapidly replacing standard axillary dissection with arguably improved prognostication and marked decreases in morbidity. Much understanding of margin adequacy has been added—especially in the case of ductal carcinoma in situ. Larger resections are considered now if cosmesis can be successfully addressed short of full mastectomy. We are beginning to understand that the majority of breast cancer lumpectomies do not require whole breast external beam irradiation. New attention is being given to understand the role of proliferative disease and its regional mapping within the ductal system when it coexists with a breast cancer. Intraductal approaches to breast cancer and new theories of breast carcinogenesis such as the “sick lobe” hypothesis begin to direct surgeons toward a much more anatomic basis for lumpectomy and subsequent therapies.
Researchers are invited to submit original research articles as well as review articles which explore these new fields and their potential impact on changing locoregional approaches to the management of early stage breast cancer. Topics to be considered for publication include, but are not limited to:
- The sick lobe hypothesis and its impact on lumpectomy
- The role of mammary ductoscopy in diagnosis and therapeutic lumpectomy
- The role of oncoplastic resections in addressing large resections or cosmetic deformity related to adequate lumpectomy margins
- New technologies to help determine pre-op or intra-op ideal resection margins
- Intraoperative ablation techniques to replace or assist traditional lumpectomy
- Role of accelerated partial breast irradiation
- Making breast conservation more widely available worldwide
- The ideal monitoring for locoregional recurrence
Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal's Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijbc/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/ according to the following timetable: