Trial Information

The Effects of Radiation Therapy on the Reconstructed Breast: An Evaluation Using MR Imaging

Immediate breast reconstruction following mastectomy has become an increasingly popular and
accepted treatment option among breast cancer patients. This change in practice has
resulted in a significant number of patients who undergo radiation therapy after breast
reconstruction. Following irradiation, the reconstructed breast often experiences fibrotic
contracture, volume loss, altered pigmentation, or some combination thereof, producing an
asymmetric and aesthetically compromised result. The effects of radiation on reconstructed
breasts as well as the implications that such changes have for timing of reconstructive
surgery, post-operative management and surveillance imaging are topics of growing importance
in plastic surgery, radiology and surgical oncology.