Background: Patients with hormone receptor-positive breast tumors receive hormonal therapy with either selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) (eg, tamoxifen) or aromatase inhibitors (AIs) (eg, anastrozole) for 5 to 10 years. Patients are using these therapies frequently during breast reconstruction. Literature investigating the effects of hormonal modulators on breast reconstruction outcomes demonstrates conflicting results. We sought to perform a systematic evaluation to assess the effects of hormonal therapy on breast reconstruction outcomes and to guide perioperative management of antiestrogen therapies.
Methods: A MEDLINE, PubMed, and EBSCO Host search of articles regarding the effects of SERMs and AIs on breast reconstruction was performed. Outcomes evaluated included wound complications, total or partial flap loss, and thromboembolic events. Included studies were assigned Methodological Index for Nonrandomized Studies quality scores.
Results: A total of 2581 flaps were analyzed for complete loss: patients taking SERMs at the time of reconstruction had higher rates of flap loss compared with patients not taking hormone modulators (P < 0.001). Flap loss was not affected by concurrent AI use (P = 0.11). Both SERMs and AIs had an increased risk of donor site complications (P = 0.0021 and P < 0.0001, respectively). Neither hormone modulator had an effect on flap wound complications or venous thromboembolic event rates.
Conclusions: Evidence indicates patients using SERMs at the time of operation are at an increased risk of flap loss and those taking either SERMs or AIs have higher rates of donor site complications. These findings support holding these medications for 1 to 2 half lives (tamoxifen, 14-28 days; AIs, 2-4 days) preoperatively.