30-Second Takeaway
- Prophylactic nipple-sparing mastectomy shows very low long-term new primary cancer risk, including in BRCA carriers.
- Salvage mastectomy for ipsilateral recurrence has high short-term morbidity; BMI and adjuvant radiotherapy further increase risk.
- Serum IFNα2A meaningfully improves prediction of breast cancer–related lymphedema beyond clinical factors alone.
- Next-generation hydrogels, cellular scaffolds, and biopolymers are reshaping strategies for nerve repair, soft-tissue regeneration, and VCA.
- Innovative microneedles and epidermal reprogramming may enable less invasive, more regenerative treatment of hemangiomas and complex wounds.
Week ending February 7, 2026
Oncologic breast surgery, regenerative biomaterials, and targeted delivery in plastic surgery
Large series supports long-term oncologic safety of prophylactic nipple-sparing mastectomy
In 972 patients undergoing 1,255 prophylactic nipple-sparing mastectomies, median follow-up was 81 months. New primary breast cancer occurred in only 3 breasts (0.3%) after prophylactic nipple-sparing mastectomy. Five-year Kaplan–Meier estimates for new breast cancer, breast cancer-related mortality, and overall mortality were 0.15%, 0.93%, and 1.63%. Among BRCA carriers, 5-year new cancer incidence was 0.44%, with low breast cancer-related and overall mortality. Incidental breast cancer was found in 3.0% of specimens, underscoring the importance of thorough pathologic evaluation during prophylactic surgery.
Salvage mastectomy for ipsilateral recurrence carries high short-term morbidity
This multicenter cohort included 549 ipsilateral breast tumor recurrences after prior breast-conserving surgery. Short-term complications occurred in 45.2% of salvage mastectomy patients versus 16.4% after repeat breast-conserving surgery. Seroma (31.7%) and surgical site infection (10.9%) were the most common short-term complications after salvage mastectomy. Long-term complications were similar between groups, affecting 16.7% after salvage mastectomy and 14.5% after repeat breast-conserving surgery. Higher BMI significantly increased short-term complication risk after salvage mastectomy, and adjuvant radiotherapy was associated with more long-term complications.
Serum IFNα2A improves prognostic modeling for breast cancer–related lymphedema
This secondary analysis evaluated 147 breast cancer patients with serum cytokine profiling for lymphedema prediction. Elevated IFNα2A independently predicted lymphedema development, with an odds ratio of 3.10 versus lower levels. Three-year lymphedema-free survival was 95% for patients below median IFNα2A versus 85% for those above median. Adding IFNα2A reclassified 31% of clinically high-risk patients to low risk, potentially reducing unnecessary intensive surveillance. A combined model including IFNα2A achieved an AUC of 0.895 with a low Brier score, outperforming clinical factors alone.
Exosome-loaded GelMA/HAMA hydrogel enhances facial nerve regeneration in rodents
Investigators engineered a photocrosslinked GelMA/HAMA hydrogel incorporating bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell–derived exosomes. In a rodent facial nerve crush model, the exosome-functionalized hydrogel improved neuromuscular functional recovery versus untreated controls. Histology showed enhanced axonal regrowth, better remyelination, and reduced oxidative damage in treated animals. The hydrogel shifted macrophages from M1 to M2 phenotypes via PI3K/NF-κB/P38 pathway modulation, with Neuronatin as a key regulator.
References
Numbered in order of appearance. Click any reference to view details.
Additional Reads
Optional additional studies from this edition.