Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40861279›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of surgery protocols2025

Breast reconstruction and neoadjuvant radiotherapy (BRENAR) - study protocol for a multicenter, prospective, single-arm pilot study.

Sophie H Nelissen, Danny A Young-Afat, Joeke M Felderhof, Patrick I Ferdinandus, Femke van der Leij, Arjan J Witkamp, Annemiek Doeksen, Erik H Zonnevylle, Susanne van der Velde, Liesbeth M Veenendaal and 5 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of surgery protocols, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Sophie H NelissenDepartment of Plastic and Reconstructive surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0006-0919-8393
Danny A Young-AfatDepartment of Plastic and Reconstructive surgery, Amsterdam University Medical Center, The Netherlands.
Joeke M FelderhofDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Alexander Monro Hospital and University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Patrick I FerdinandusDepartment of Plastic and Reconstructive surgery, Alexander Monro Hospital, The Netherlands.
Femke van der LeijDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Arjan J WitkampDepartment of Surgical Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Annemiek DoeksenDepartment of Surgical Oncology, St. Antonius Hospital, The Netherlands.
Erik H ZonnevylleDepartment of Plastic and Reconstructive surgery, St. Antonius Hospital, The Netherlands.
Susanne van der VeldeDepartment of Surgical Oncology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, The Netherlands.
Liesbeth M VeenendaalDepartment of Surgical Oncology, Alexander Monro Hospital, The Netherlands.
Jan Maerten SmitDepartment of Plastic and Reconstructive surgery, Amsterdam University Medical Center, The Netherlands.
Desirée H J G van den BongardDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, The Netherlands.
J Henk CoertDepartment of Plastic and Reconstructive surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Liesbeth J BoersmaDepartment of Radiation Oncology (Maastro), GROW-School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, The Netherlands.
Wies MaarseDepartment of Plastic and Reconstructive surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Over the past decade, post-mastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) is indicated more frequently in breast cancer treatment, especially in patients with involved axillary lymph nodes. However, PMRT is associated with high complication rates and less satisfactory cosmetic results when combined with immediate breast reconstructions. This has led to ongoing controversy regarding breast reconstruction and radiotherapy, often postponing the reconstruction until long after PMRT has been completed. Preoperative radiotherapy, also known as neoadjuvant radiotherapy (NART), is emerging as a safe and promising alternative with the potential to allow immediate reconstruction without the negative effects of radiotherapy on the reconstructed breast. However, data on the complication rates and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) after NART followed by mastectomy and breast reconstruction are still limited. Methods: This is a multicenter, prospective, single-arm pilot study including breast cancer patients requiring mastectomy and PMRT, who desire immediate breast reconstruction, either implant-based or autologous. The primary objective is to assess complications three months after the last planned reconstructive surgery. The secondary objectives are to evaluate patient-reported health-related quality of life (HR-QoL), patient- and physician-reported cosmetic results, and pathological response. Discussion: The primary outcome of this pilot study is to provide further evidence to determine whether NART is a viable alternative to PMRT in terms of complication rates when combined with immediate breast reconstruction. The secondary outcomes will enhance our understanding of patients' HR-QoL and cosmetic outcomes. If NART proves to be a safe alternative, this pilot study will lay the foundation for a national multicenter randomized controlled trial to evaluate long-term HR-QoL and oncological outcomes.

Indexed as

breast cancercomplicationsneoadjuvant therapypatient satisfaction

Identifiers

PMID40861279
PMCPMC12373098

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.