A recent meeting in NYC brought together breast cancer survivors, doctors from multiple specialties, advocacy groups, and others, to discuss best care practices for breast cancer patients.  The gathering was punctuated by a sobering statistic:  “Nearly 70 percent of women who are eligible for breast reconstruction are not informed of their reconstructive options by a referring physician. The number is even higher for minority women.”

Why does this matter?  ASPS President Michael McGuire says that a woman’s choice to opt for breast reconstruction impacts the surgical techniques that will be selected for her.  Therefore, including a plastic surgeon from the beginning of care planning is in her best interest.   The Team Approach – which brings together a breast surgeon, gynecologist, radiologist, medical oncologist, and a plastic surgeon – originated in an effort to design personalized treatment plans that are put in place right away – from the time of diagnosis and through treatment and recovery.

McGuire explains the benefits for female cancer patients:  “Each step of the cancer care journey requires specific medical expertise.  When a team of experts works together, the outcome for patients is vastly improved.”  The patient also benefits when a physician explains all of the reconstruction options at the onset of treatment.

Records of 581 breast cancer patients were studied by researchers at the George Washington University Cancer Institute.  Patients were treated at 7 hospitals and clinics between 1997 and 2009.

Diagnosis: To get a definitive diagnosis, insured black women and uninsured white women had to wait over twice as long.

Insurance: Contrary to the researcher’s expectations, insurance coverage did not even the field.  Insurance coverage was not correlated with quicker diagnosis in black women.

Treatment: After diagnosis, black patients had to wait twice as long as white patients to begin breast cancer treatment.

• Read more about this topic on womenshealth.gov
• More information on breast reconstruction in Houston

The authors surveyed more than 300 women who had undergone breast reconstruction at a single institution.  Information was gathered about their age and background as well as their referral patterns and decision-making processes.

Researchers concluded that patients seeking microsurgical breast reconstruction were:

• Independent decision-makers in their health care choices
• Likely to use the Internet to learn about breast reconstruction
• More likely to seek out a reconstructive surgeon on their own

What is Microsurgical Breast Reconstruction?

Breast reconstruction procedures such as Free TRAM flap, DIEP Flap, SIEA Flap and SGAP Flap were identified as “highly sought after” amongst the group.  The key difference with these procedures is the reconnection of blood vessels from the donor site to the reconstructive site.

Learn more about microsurgical breast reconstruction in Houston

The procedure is said to stimulate regenerative growth of breast tissue, and trials are set to begin – with real human patients – in less than 6 months.

How it Works

A biodegradable chamber is placed within the chest, containing stem cells obtained from the patient’s own fatty tissue. As the cells divide and grow, the natural fat of the breast is recreated.

Phillip Marzella from the Bernard O’Brien Institute of Microsurgery, told ABC radio that the trials were “a proof of principle trial with about five to six women just to demonstrate that the body can re-grow its own fat supply in the breast.”

It may take several years to fully develop this procedure, but scientists are optimistic about its potential to replace the current procedures in breast reconstruction, which use saline or silicone breast implants to recreate the breast after mastectomy. The science of breast reconstruction seems to be progressing rapidly in recent years, causing some writers to say we are “winning the war on breast cancer.”

• Read more on CBS News