New-Generation Treatments and Robotic Surgery in Breast Cancer on the Agenda in İstanbul

Advances in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer are offering new possibilities aimed at improving patients' quality of life and enhancing treatment processes. At the 7th Breastanbul Conference held in İstanbul, more than 1,000 scientists from 62 countries addressed numerous current topics ranging from surgical technologies to personalized treatments in breast cancer. At the congress, it was reported that with robotic and endoscopic surgical methods, some breast operations can now be performed through incisions of approximately 3 centimeters, and that new drugs are able to reduce the need for chemotherapy in certain patient groups.

The press conference held within the scope of the congress, organized with the support of Acıbadem Üniversitesi Senoloji Enstitüsü and Senatürk, was attended by Acıbadem Üniversitesi Senoloji Araştırma Enstitüsü Director and General Surgery Specialist Prof. Dr. Cihan Uras, Radiation Oncology Specialist Prof. Dr. Nuran Beşe, Medical Oncology Specialist Prof. Dr. Yeşim Eralp, Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery Specialist Prof. Dr. Şükrü Yazar, Prof. Dr. Thorsten Kühn from Klinikum Esslingen, Germany, and Dr. Shawna C. Willey from Inova Schar Cancer Institute, USA.

Breastanbul strengthens international scientific cooperation

Prof. Dr. Thorsten Kühn, a General Surgery Specialist and one of the founding members of the European Breast Cancer Research Association of Surgical Trialists (EUBREAST), stated that Breastanbul is an important scientific platform bringing together experts from different countries and disciplines.

Kühn said that the congress holds value in terms of surgeons sharing their experiences, discussing their research and developing new collaborations, noting that Breastanbul has an important place among international scientific gatherings.

Smaller incisions with robotic and endoscopic surgery

Breastanbul Congress President and General Surgery Specialist Prof. Dr. Cihan Uras noted that the use of robotic and endoscopic technologies in breast cancer surgery is becoming increasingly widespread. Uras stated that with these methods, in some operations, it is possible both to remove the entire breast and to take samples from the lymph nodes under the arm through incisions of approximately 3 centimeters.

Uras made the following assessment regarding technological advances in breast cancer surgery:

“There are robotic and endoscopic technologies used in breast cancer operations. Instead of a 10 cm incision in breast operations, 3 cm incisions are made using robotic and endoscopic methods. Today, with the emergence of endoscopic surgery and robotic surgery, very small incisions have started to be used. That is, these are incisions averaging 3 cm. There are two advantages; through a 3 cm incision, we can both remove the entire breast and, through this same incision, reach the armpit to take axillary lymph node samples. At the same time, we perform a finer dissection, that is, tissue separation procedures. We also cause much less bleeding. Thus, we also ensure that patients experience much less pain after surgery. This is one of the important steps in the advancing technology of breast surgery.”

New treatments reduce the need for chemotherapy in some patients

Medical Oncology Specialist Prof. Dr. Yeşim Eralp stated that new drugs developed for breast cancer treatment are providing significant results in certain patient groups. Eralp noted that new treatment options have come to the fore particularly in triple-negative and HER2-positive breast cancers, while in hormone-sensitive breast cancers, the use of hormonal therapies and targeted drugs can reduce the need for chemotherapy.

Eralp assessed the advances in treatment as follows:

“In triple-negative breast cancer, which used to be a feared type, the use of immunotherapies both in advanced stages and in earlier stages, in addition to postoperative chemotherapy, has made great contributions to our patients' survival times. With the emergence of new drugs for HER2-positive breast cancers as well, we have seen that the use of these types of drugs in early preoperative stages can lead to the complete disappearance of the tumor. The use of chemotherapy in breast cancer treatment has decreased for some groups. Particularly in the hormone-sensitive subtypes that make up a large majority of our patients, the use of smart drugs together with new hormonal drugs has greatly reduced chemotherapy. At earlier stages, especially with the inclusion of genetic tests in diagnosis, we have now managed to prevent unnecessary chemotherapy use.”

The scope of radiotherapy can be narrowed in selected patients

Radiation Oncology Specialist Prof. Dr. Nuran Beşe said that approaches aimed at preserving patients' quality of life are gaining importance in breast cancer treatment. Beşe noted that when the right patient selection is made, reducing the scope of surgical procedures targeting the armpit and radiotherapy can be considered in some patients.

Beşe emphasized that treatment decisions should be made taking into account the patient's characteristics, and used the following statements:

“This approach is most clearly seen in the fields of surgery and radiotherapy. Surgical interventions performed on the armpit in breast cancer can have significant effects on the patient's quality of life. Today, not even performing sentinel lymph node sampling in selected patients is on the agenda. Recent studies show that when the right patient selection is made, radiotherapy targeting the armpit may also not be necessary in some patients. The most important issue here is that the patient is evaluated very carefully and that the treatment decision is made by an experienced, multidisciplinary team. In this way, we aim to lighten our patients' treatment burden while preserving their quality of life.”

The future goal is personalized prevention methods

Dr. Shawna C. Willey from Inova Schar Cancer Institute, USA, stated that breast cancer surgery has undergone a significant transformation in recent years and that personalized treatment options have developed. Willey said that one of the main future goals is to be able to determine breast cancer risk in advance using personalized methods and to develop approaches aimed at preventing the disease from occurring.

Noting that she has been working in the field of breast cancer surgery for approximately 30 years, Willey stated that advances in diagnostic and treatment methods have made this field require more specialized expertise. Willey emphasized that personalized risk assessments and preventive approaches will gain even more importance in the future.

Advanced technologies are used in breast reconstruction

Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery Specialist Prof. Dr. Şükrü Yazar also drew attention to the possibilities offered by new technologies in breast reconstruction performed after breast cancer treatment.

Yazar stated that the breast can be reconstructed using tissue taken from the patient's abdomen, back or thigh region. He noted that three-dimensional imaging, computed tomography and artificial intelligence-assisted planning systems contribute to more detailed planning in reconstruction procedures performed using the patient's own tissues.

At the congress, where it was emphasized that advances in the fields of surgery, oncology, radiotherapy and reconstruction in breast cancer treatment need to be evaluated together, the importance of the multidisciplinary approach for patients' treatment processes and quality of life also came to the fore.