title: The spectrum of vascular lesions in the mammary skin, including angiosarcoma, after breast conservation treatment for breast cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  With the general acceptance of lumpectomy, axillary staging, and radiotherapy as local treatment for infiltrating breast cancer, an appreciation is evolving for the spectrum of vascular lesions that occur in the mammary skin after this treatment. Most of these lesions develop within the prior radiation field after breast conservation treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective chart and slide review was conducted, consisting of five patients with cutaneous vascular lesions after breast conservation treatment for infiltrating breast cancer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The latent time interval from definitive treatment of breast cancer to the clinical recognition of vascular lesions ranged from 5 to 11 years. Two patients did not have either arm or breast edema, two patients had breast edema, and the fifth patient had arm edema. Lesions arising in the irradiated mammary skin included extensive lymphangiectasia (one), atypical vascular lesions (two), and cutaneous angiosarcoma (four).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Atypical vascular lesions at the skin margins of mastectomy may be predictive of recurrence after resection of angiosarcoma. Excision of skin from the entire radiation field may be necessary to secure local control of the chest wall in patients with cutaneous angiosarcoma after therapeutic breast radiotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, Evanston, IL 60201, USA.
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Sener
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Milos
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Feldman
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Martz
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Winchester
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dieterich
authors.forename: G Y
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Locker
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Khandekar
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brockstein
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haid
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Michel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001940:Breast / Q000098:blood supply*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006394:Hemangiosarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008209:Lymphedema / Q000209:etiology; D015412:Mastectomy, Segmental; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply / Q000528:radiation effects; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D019043:Vascular Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*