3D Tool for Planning the Conservative Treatment of the Breast Cancer

In Europe, breast cancer is the most frequent neoplasm and the leading cause of cancer death in women. However, breast cancer mortality in most European countries has been declining since the 1990s as a result of screening programs and treatment improvements.

When a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer and surgery is proposed, there are two options: breast-conserving surgery or mastectomy. For each case, a procedure, being, however, the subjective decision and based almost exclusively on the surgeon’s experience and clinical judgment. This clinical judgment considers several factors, such as the ratio between the volume to be excised and the total breast volume, the location of the tumor, and gland density. Of these, the ratio between the volume to be excised and the breast volume is recognized as having the greatest impact factor on the aesthetic result. However, there is a lack of scientific research regarding methods to assess breast volume and the ratio between the volume to be excised/breast volume, which may help in the selection of the most appropriate surgical technique.

Our goal is to develop a standardized and reproducible tool to aid in surgical planning, which will allow comparing the final appearance of the breast against the various surgical options available, through the assessment of the risk of deformation after CCM for a specific volume to be excised/breast volume ratio of each patient. Improve patient-surgeon communication regarding the most appropriate type of surgery and enable patients to participate more actively in the process.