Impact of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on wound complications after breast surgery

Background: Benefits from the neoadjuvant approach are survival benefits and breast conservation surgery rather than mastectomy. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the incidence and risk factors that influence early local complications in patients that had breast surgery after neoadjuvant polychemotherapy. Methods: This retrospective study was undertaken with 361 breast cancer patients (women) who were treated at the Oncology Institute of Vojvodina from January 2007 to December 2012. In the first group (N1=103) were the patients who underwent neoadjuvant polychemotherapy and in the second group (N2=258) were patients who did not take neoadjuvant polychemotherapy. Surgery procedures were breast conservative surgery, mastectomy, or nipple sparing mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction, depending on tumor stage after polychemotherapy. Median follow-up of patients after operation was 49 months (ranging from 15 to 75 months). Results: The average reduction of tumor volume after neoadjuvant polychemotherapy was 30%. Most common complications were prolonged seroma formation and minor skin necrosis. Obesity, older age, smoking, and diabetes mellitus were recognized as risk factors for early postoperative complications after neoadjuvant polychemotherapy (p<0.05). Conclusion: Obesity, older age, smoking, and diabetes mellitus were recognized as risk factors for early postoperative complications after neoadjuvant polychemotherapy.