MABS Improves Immune Recovery Compared to COBS in BC

Minimal access breast surgery (MABS) is commonly employed in the management of breast cancer (BC), but there is limited research available on the postoperative immune function associated with MABS.

QiHua Jiang and the team aimed to assess the postoperative immune function in patients (pts) with BC who underwent MABS or conventional open breast surgery (COBS).

They conducted a retrospective analysis, including 829 pts with BC who were treated with either MABS or COBS at a single hospital between January 2020 and June 2023.

They obtained 116 matched pairs through 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM). CD3⁺, CD4⁺, and CD8⁺ cell percentages and the CD4⁺/CD8⁺ ratio were measured by utilizing the flow cytometry at three different time points: preoperative day 1 (PreD1), postoperative day 1 (PostD1), and postoperative day 7 (PostD7).

The study observed significant reductions in the percentages of CD3⁺, CD4⁺, and CD8⁺ cells, as well as in the CD4⁺/CD8⁺ ratio, from PreD1 to PostD1 in both the MABS and COBS groups. Intriguingly, the MABS group exhibited a reversal of these parameters, returning to preoperative levels by PostD7.

The COBS group demonstrated an increase in these immune parameters from PostD1 to PostD7, although they remained significantly lower than preoperative levels by PostD7.

The study concluded that MABS treatment may lead to reduced postoperative immune suppression and a quicker recovery of preoperative immune function compared to COBS in pts with BC.

The study received no funds.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39010087/

Jiang Q, Liao J, Tan J, et al. (2024). “Comparison of minimal access and open breast surgery: a propensity score-matched study on postoperative immune function in breast cancer.” World J Surg Oncol. 2024 Jul 16;22(1):183. doi: 10.1186/s12957-024-03447-w. PMID: 39010087.