Comparison of long-term oncologic outcomes of central lumpectomy and conventional breast-conserving surgery for invasive breast cancer

Central lumpectomy (CL) is a breast-conserving surgical (BCS) technique that involves excision of the nipple-areolar complex with breast tumor in centrally located breast cancers. A retrospective study in South Korea compared long-term oncologic outcomes of CL in comparison with conventional BCS (cCBS). Among 6,533 patients undergoing BCS, 106 (1.6%) underwent CL. The median follow-up duration was 73.4 months. The ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence rate was significantly higher in the CL group compared with the cBCS group. However, there were no significant differences between the groups in regional recurrence, distant metastasis, or overall survival. The authors conclude that for centrally located tumors, CL may be considered for patients preferring breast preservation, while careful surveillance may be required.