Doctors turn fat into stem cells to repair breasts deformed by cancer

Source: The Electric New Paper

For the first time, doctors have used stem cells from liposuctioned fat to fix breast defects in women who have had cancerous lumps removed.

The procedure, still in an experimental stage, will be welcome news to those who go through lumpectomies, where a portion of the breast is removed.

For such women, left with 'cratered' areas and breasts that look very different from each other, the options have so far been limited.

Implants? Those are generally for reconstructing breasts after mastectomies, in which the whole breast is removed, but they aren't designed to fix odd-shaped deformities from lumpectomies or radiation.

Explained Dr Karol Gutowski of the University of Wisconsin-Madison: 'Each (problem) is so different, there's no little thing you can just pop in there.'

Mini-implants of fat tissue?

That has been tried, too, but the fat tissue is often re-absorbed by the body or it dies, turning turn hard and lumpy.

Other treatments: Making the other breast smaller to match, transplanting a back muscle to boost the flawed breast, or rearranging tissue to more evenly distribute what's left.

But these involve surgery and leaves scars.

And the deformities left by a lumpectomy can be significant because as much as a third of a woman's breast may be removed.

That is why the recent study - done in Japan and reported on Saturday at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium - has generated such interest.

CELLS THAT SURVIVE

The key is the presence of the stem cells - master cells that can replenish themselves and form other tissues in the body.

Fat cells are rich in stem cells and doctors think the stem cells will keep the tissue from dying and will form lasting mini-implants.

In the study, half the liposuctioned fat was processed for stem cells then combined with the unprocessed fat and injected into the breast.

The company sees potential for cosmetic breast augmentation of healthy breasts, but for now 'our plan is to focus on an unmet medical need' in cancer patients, he said.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons says doctors must be cautious about using fat cells for cosmetic purposes until more is known.