Weber WPBreast Center, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Surgery, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. Electronic address: walter.weber@usb.ch.
Morrow MBreast Surgery Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
Boniface JDepartment of Surgery, Capio Saint Göran's Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Pusic ADivision of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Montagna GBreast Center, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Breast Surgery Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
Kappos EABreast Center, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Surgery, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Ritter MBreast Center, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Surgery, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Haug MBreast Center, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Surgery, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Kurzeder CBreast Center, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Saccilotto RDepartment of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Schulz ADepartment of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Benson JCambridge Breast Unit, Addenbrooke's Hospital Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; School of Medicine, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK.
Fitzal FDepartment of Surgery and Breast Health Center, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Matrai ZDepartment of Breast and Sarcoma Surgery, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary.
Shaw JPatient Advocacy Group, Oncoplastic Breast Consortium, Basel, Switzerland.
Peeters MVDepartment of Surgery, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Potter SCentre for Surgical Research, Bristol Medical School, Bristol, UK; Bristol Breast Care Centre, North Bristol National Health Service Trust, Bristol, UK.
Heil JDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Breast Unit, University Women's Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
English
The aims of the Oncoplastic Breast Consortium initiative were to identify important knowledge gaps in the field of oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery and nipple-sparing or skin-sparing mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction, and to recommend appropriate research strategies to address these gaps. A total of 212 surgeons and 26 patient advocates from 55 countries prioritised the 15 most important knowledge gaps from a list of 38 in two electronic Delphi rounds. An interdisciplinary panel of the Oncoplastic Breast Consortium consisting of 63 stakeholders from 20 countries obtained consensus during an in-person meeting to select seven of these 15 knowledge gaps as research priorities. Three key recommendations emerged from the meeting. First, the effect of oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery on quality of life and the optimal type and timing of reconstruction after nipple-sparing or skin-sparing mastectomy with planned radiotherapy should be addressed by prospective cohort studies at an international level. Second, the role of adjunctive mesh and the positioning of implants during implant-based breast reconstruction should ideally be investigated by randomised controlled trials of pragmatic design. Finally, the BREAST-Q questionnaire is a suitable tool to assess primary outcomes in these studies, but other metrics to measure patient-reported outcomes should be systematically evaluated and quality indicators of surgical morbidity should be further assessed.