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.