Preliminary Study on the Efficacy of Microwave Ablation in Treating Breast Cancer Involving the Skin or Nipple-Areola Complex

Objective To preliminarily investigate the safety and efficacy of percutaneous microwave ablation (MWA) in patients with advanced breast cancer involving the skin or nippleareola complex (NAC). Methods This study included breast cancer patients with skin or NAC involvement treated at the Fifth Medical Center of the Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2011 to August 2024. Patients underwent percutaneous MWA with water isolation technique to protect surrounding tissues. Clinical data were retrospectively collected, and the technical success rate, complications, prognosis, patient satisfaction with breast aesthetics, and quality of life improvement were analyzed. Results A total of 19 patients (24 lesions) meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria were analyzed. The cases included 4 with T4N0M0, 2 with T4N1M0, 3 with T4N2M0, 1 with T4N3M0, 1 with T4N2M1, and 8 with T4N3M1. The average diameter of the 24 lesions was (4.9 ± 3.4) cm, with an average of (1.6 ± 0.6) ablation sessions per lesion. The median ablation time was 36.9 (26.1, 61.7) minutes, and the median ablation energy was 84.2 (45.6, 149.2) kJ. The technical success rate was 100%. Postoperatively, 7 patients (7/19, 36.8%) experienced skin burns around the lesion or nipple shedding, all of which healed naturally. The median overall survival was 35.0 (17.0, 45.5) months, and the median recurrence-free survival was 17.0 (11.0, 38.5) months. Patient satisfaction with post-treatment breast aesthetics was 89.5%, and all patients reported significant improvement in their quality of life. Conclusion Percutaneous microwave ablation for breast cancer involving the skin or NAC was preliminary demonstrates to be safe and effective, suggesting its potential as a viable treatment option for patients with inoperable breast cancer.