Full-thickness chest wall resection with internal mammary lymph node lymphadenectomy for isolated breast cancer recurrence

Abstract

Approximately 30% of patients with breast cancer have local recurrence, which may be associated with locoregional or systemic disease. The sternal isolated local recurrence is rare, and thoracoplasty is the only intent curative surgical treatment to be offered to these patients. This article presents a patient with breast cancer submitted to a curative treatment, but with a single chest wall recurrence at 35 months. She was submitted to a left sternal thoracoplasty with partial resection, resection of segments of ribs, with reconstruction with synthetic mesh, major flap of latissimus dorsi muscle and internal mammary lymphadenectomy. We discuss the aspects related to local recurrence, the indications related to surgical treatment, the modalities of treatment, its results and the prognosis for this condition.