ONCOPLASTIC BREAST SURGERY AND BREAST RECONSTRUCTION

Surgical treatment offering both cure and good cosmetic outcomes is important in patients with breast cancer. Mastectomy followed by breast reconstruction is performed with a combination of autologous tissue or implant and can be immediate or delayed in one stage or two stages, respectively. Breast surgeons and plastic surgeons should understand the characteristic indications for surgery and select the appropriate procedure for each patient. Oncoplastic breast surgery (OBS) at the time of breast-conserving surgery is classified into two main methods, volume replacement and volume displacement. It is necessary for clinicians to understand both the advantages and disadvantages of oncoplastic procedures. The problem of some OBS methods remaining ineligible for coverage by national health insurance in Japan remains unresolved, but OBS will become more important as a novel method offering a balance between cancer curability and excellent cosmetic results in the near future.