The effect of breast cancer surgery on spine alignment: Whole-spine radiograph analysis

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 17; no. 10; p. e0276173
• Main Authors: Nam, Kyung Eun, Kim, Inah, Park, Hae-Yeon, Lee, Jong In
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: San Francisco Public Library of Science 14.10.2022; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Age; Alignment; Biology and Life Sciences; Body mass index; Bone density; Bone surgery; Breast cancer; Cancer surgery; Cancer therapies; Care and treatment; Chemotherapy; Complications and side effects; Deformation effects; Endocrine therapy; Long-term effects; Lumpectomy; Mastectomy; Medical records; Medicine and Health Sciences; Observational studies; Osteoporosis; Patient outcomes; Patients; Radiation; Research and Analysis Methods; Scoliosis; Spinal cord; Spinal curvature; Spine; Surgery; Vertebra; Vertebrae; Womens health; X-rays; South Korea
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276173

Breast cancer survivors may experience spinal deformity following breast cancer surgery. This study investigated the long-term effects of breast cancer surgery on whole-spine alignment. This retrospective study included 200 patients who underwent breast cancer surgery and ≥2 anteroposterior standing whole-spine X-rays. The curvature of the spine was measured using the Cobb angle; changes in Cobb angle between X-rays were compared among three groups according to breast cancer surgery type. The mean interval between initial and follow-up X-ray was 28.46 ± 13.39 months. The change in Cobb angle was 0.40 ± 1.65 degrees and the absolute value of that change was 1.25 ± 1.15 degrees in all patients with breast cancer. There were no significant differences in angular change among groups according to breast cancer surgery type. Most patients showed minimal changes in spinal alignment after breast cancer surgery. Our findings indicate that breast cancer surgery does not negatively affect spinal alignment.