IMMEDIATE BREAST RECONSTRUCTION IN THE HIGH-RISK ADJUVANT SETTING

High-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell support (or bone marr ow transplantation) in the treatment of primary breast cancer has been developed in the hopes of increasing survival among patients traditio nally regarded as ''high risk.'' These patients have locally advanced disease (stage IIB or higher) and have a greater than 50 % risk of dev eloping systemic illness. This report addresses the issue of whether r econstructive breast surgery can be offered to high-risk patients. It is hoped that as survival among women with advanced or high-stage prim ary breast cancer increases, options for immediate breast reconstructi on can be routinely offered.