Technology to restore breast volume after cancer surgery

Surgeons from the Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital and the Foundation's Health Sciences Research Institute, in collaboration with doctors from the Blood and Tissue Bank, successfully have used an experimental treatment with platelet gel to restore breast volume right after extracting the tumour. This is a completely new technology applied to surgery with no need for posterior reconstructions or breast prostheses to mitigate the results of the extracted tissue. The technique, designed in collaboration with UAB, is pioneer in the world and has been used with over 50 patients with very good results.

26/01/2011

The peculiarity of using platelet gel is the fact that it is placed directly during the operation after the tumour is extracted and without using the patient's tissue, thus avoiding short or mid term operations and mitigating any psychosocial consequences for the patient. The platelets are obtained with the blood of a donor and a gel with similar consistency as breast tissue is created to restore volume and gradually regenerate collagen fibres.

Although found in the blood flow, platelets are not blood cells, but cell fragments and therefore do not generate rejection by the receiver. Moreover they are a natural source of growth factors and an immunomodulator, thus speeding up the process of tissue repair and regeneration. In fact, platelets have been used for some time already for their regeneration properties (e.g. sport injuries, dentistry, skin ulcers, oral and maxilofacial surgery, etc.), but until now platelet gel had not been used to restore volume.

To obtain the platelet gel donors first must go the the German Trias Blood and Tissue Bank before the patient undergoes surgery. A simple process extracts the platelets from the blood of the donor after which the blood is returned. Once the platelets are obtained they are stored until the next day. When the exact volume needed is known, they are taken to the operating theatre where they are converted into gel. The gel is then introduced into the space occupied previously by the tumour.

One of the most important advantages of using this new technology is that it permits extracting a greater amount of healthy tissue surrounding the tumour without further damaging breast volume and shape. This offers greater security to patients, in addition to an immediate aesthetic benefit. Research surgeons highlight the possibility that in short this new technology will allow to reduce index of mastectomies and increase tumorectomies for breast cancer.

Since it was first applied at the end of 2008, this new surgical treatment has been carried out with some 50 patients from the reference area of Germans Trias i Pujol (northern Barcelona and Maresme county) needing ample tumorectomies. Very good results were obtained in almost all cases and one to two years later they still maintain their shape and volume. Moreover, none of the patients treated with this technique have presented new signs of tumours.

The new technology was patented jointly by the three institutions working on the project: the Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital and Institute, UAB and the Blood and Tissue Bank. The patent was obtained not only for restoring the area left after extracting the tumour, but also for the possibility of using it in other body areas. The project was led by Dr Joan Francesc Julián, with the collaboration of doctors Jordi Navinés, Joan Ramon Grífols, Itziar Pascual, Mireia Botey, Antonio Mariscal, Sara Vizcaya, Rosa Ballester, Eva Castellà, M. Carmen Sánchez, Francesc Garcia Cuyàs and Jaume Fernandez-Llamazares, and with funding from the European Union's FEDER programme, awarded through the Government of Catalonia.

The technology received funding and support for its commercialisation through the VALOR grant by ACC1Ó, agency belonging to the Ministry for Innovation, University and Enterprise of the Government of Catalonia. In 2010, this experimental treatment in breast volume restoration with platelet gel was awarded the Corachán Award from the Surgical Society of Catalonia.