Background: The purpose of this study was to compare the local recurrence and distant metastasis of postmastectomy radiotherapy for breast cancer patients with and without immediate transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous (TRAM) flap reconstruction.
Methods: Between March of 1997 and October of 2001, 191 breast cancer patients received postmastectomy radiotherapy: 82 patients had TRAM flap reconstruction (TRAM flap group) and 109 patients did not (non-TRAM flap group). The mean radiation dose to the chest wall or entire TRAM flap, axillary area, and lower neck was 50 Gy (range, 48 to 54 Gy). The median follow-up period was 40 months.
Results: The percentages of chest wall recurrence were 3.7 percent (three of 82) in the TRAM flap group and 1.8 percent (two of 109) in the non-TRAM flap group (p = 0.653). The percentages of distant metastases were 12.2 percent (10 of 82) in the TRAM group and 15.6 percent (17 of 109) for the non-TRAM group (p = 0.67). The percentages of acute radiation dermatitis according to Radiation Therapy Oncology Group scoring criteria (TRAM flap group versus non-TRAM flap group) were as follows: grade I, 74 of 82 (90 percent) versus 93 of 109 (85 percent); grade II, seven of 82 (9 percent) versus 13 of 109 (12 percent); grade III, one of 82 (1 percent) versus three of 109 (3 percent) (p = 0.558). In the TRAM flap group, the increased percentage of fat necrosis was 8 percent. No flap loss was detected.
Conclusions: There were no significant differences in the incidences of complication, locoregional recurrence, and distant metastasis between the TRAM flap and non-TRAM flap patients. The authors' results suggest that immediate TRAM flap reconstruction can be considered a feasible treatment for breast cancer patients requiring postmastectomy radiotherapy.