Timing of postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT), pre- or postreconstruction, affects timing but not total risk for complication for breast cancer patients. In a retrospective study of 113 women who underwent breast reconstruction and PMRT between 1999 and 2006, researchers found that early complications were more frequent in patients who had PMRT first (18%) than in those who had breast reconstruction first (11%). Late complications were more frequent in patients who had reconstruction first (33%) than in those who had PMRT first (14%). Patients did not differ significantly in reported general (68% for both groups) and esthetic satisfaction (50% vs 62% for PMRT-first and reconstruction-first patients, respectively).
Complete results are available in the June issue of InternationalJournal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics (http://www.redjournal.org/article/S0360-3016(10)00331-7/abstract).