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Types of diagnostic testing after mastectomy?

Page last modified on: October 16, 2008

Question from Rosie: What type of diagnostic testing is available to detect recurrence of initially diagnosed cancer or new cancer in women who have undergone mastectomy with or without reconstructive surgery?: Answer —Jennifer Sabol, M.D., F.A.C.S.: The most appropriate and most common tool to use is simply physical examination. You have to remember that the layer of breast tissue left is generally less than 1/4 of an inch thick. Your fingertips are going to detect a small nodule within that skin flap much faster than any imaging study. In addition, cancers that recur after a mastectomy tend to appear more like a rash on the surface of the skin than they do a mass deep within the reconstruction. Finally, the other places to evaluate for recurrence are under the arms and within the axillary lymph nodes. Again, this is not a place well imaged by any current imaging modality; it is best evaluated on physical examination. Having said that, if imaging of the reconstructed breast is warranted, a breast or chest wall MRI is probably the most useful tool we have to date.

On Wednesday, May 16, 2007, the Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Reconstruction Updates. Joseph Serletti, M.D. and moderator Jennifer Sabol, M.D. answered your questions about breast reconstruction.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Joseph M. Serletti, M.D., F.A.C.S. is professor of surgery and chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a pioneer in the field of free flap autologous breast reconstruction.

Jennifer Sabol, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a breast surgeon who directs the newly developed Breast Care Center at Lankenau Hospital in Wynnewood, Pa. Among her many interests, Dr. Sabol spearheads several research initiatives to advance the care for women with breast cancer and improve methods of breast cancer detection and treatment.