Publication:

Isolated advanced chest wall recurrence with a rectified reconstruction

In developed nations, breast cancer stands as the primary cause of cancer-related death among females. Local recurrence is often considered an initial sign of treatment ineffectiveness, occurring on the chest wall, axilla, or ipsilateral breast post Breast-Conserving Surgery (BCS). Local recurrence is observed in approximately 30% of patients with locally advanced breast cancer. A 58-year-old postmenopausal woman, who is a known case of triple negative breast cancer presented to us with an ulcerative lesion over left chest wall. In the past, she underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by left MRM and received adjuvant chemotherapy for left breast carcinoma. The staging of her previous disease is yT2N1aM0. Now presenting as locally advanced recurrent infiltrating lesion in the anterior wall of pericardium with sternal erosion of size 7.7×9.7×15 cms. Isolated chest wall recurrences of breast cancer can be surgically treated with chest wall resection, sternal resection, and reconstruction, providing a good quality of life and disease-free survival. Titanium mesh, gaining recent popularity as a reliable and promising bone replacement, was utilized in this case.