Breast Reconstruction and Radiotherapy

If the whole breast is removed because of breast cancer, several options for breast reconstruction are available. All these options have an increased complication risk if a patient has been or will be treated with radiotherapy. However, only a few high-quality studies addressed patient satisfaction and complication risks, both in terms of timing (prior to or after irradiation) and type of reconstruction (implant or own tissue). As radiotherapy indications expand and more patients desire a reconstruction, this is a progressively relevant issue. Through this nationwide prospective study, the investigators aim to identify the most ideal treatment strategy by comparing different reconstruction options in terms of patient reported outcomes (PROs), toxicity, oncological safety and costs. These results will enable improvement of shared decision-making and cost-effectiveness of breast reconstruction strategies in case of radiotherapy.