The incidence of breast cancer worldwide is on the rise. In 2010, 1.5 million people will be diagnosed with breast cancer. In Australia alone, more than 13,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, and of these approximately 5,000 need to have a mastectomy.
Researchers at the O’Brien Institute are developing a revolutionary technique that uses the woman’s own fat cells to build natural breast that looks and feels exactly like her other breast. The process, NeopecTM, involves implanting a biodegradable synthetic chamber. Surgeons then redirect blood vessels from the woman’s underarm through the chamber, where it is connected to a few grams of the patient’s own fat cells. In the next four to six months the fat grows in the shape of the chamber, which dissolves after the new breast is formed. The Neopec chamber, made from a clinically-approved biodegradable material, could be customised to have the size, shape, strength and degradation properties to allow the growth of fat to fill the space permanently and precisely. This will provide women with a unique surgical solution to breast reconstruction, giving them a natural breast which aesthetically matches the healthy one. Researchers at the O’Brien Institute have already developed a dissolvable gel called Myogel to stimulate fat growth in the chamber. While this is still at
laboratory stage, the team is developing a clinically compliant version. The world-first surgical trial involving five Melbourne women is set to begin shortly, funded by a $2.95 million Victorian Government grant.
The Neopec breast would look and feel natural, and would require only one operation.
Where Neopec will help most
Breast cancer survivors can experience a range of difficulties, ranging from physical limitations to psycho-social problems. Selfesteem derived from feeling better about their bodies through breast reconstruction has been shown to be an important factor in their recovery. Several methods of reconstructive surgery are currently used following mastectomy, each with its own associated risks. Autologous flap reconstructions involve transferring sections of a woman’s fat tissue from the back or abdomen to the breast area. Another method is implant reconstruction, which involves placing a silicone-gel or salinefilled implant behind or in front of the chest muscle. With Neopec, women would have the benefit of only one operation, with no further surgery or corrective procedures required to repair scarring or implant damage. They would also have a shorter hospital stay, shorter recuperation time and no abdominal or back scarring as with tissue transfer surgery. The breast would also look and feel more natural. Surgeons too will benefit from a less complex procedure, reduced anaesthesia and reduced theatre costs compared to tissue transfer, as well as potentially lower levels of corrective surgeries than implant reconstruction. Importantly, this may result in more women agreeing to mastectomy and avoiding the morbidity associated with the radiotherapy combined with lumpectomy. If successful, Neopec technology could be widely available to breast cancer patients after a three-year trial. But it could take up to a decade for Neopec to be widely used for cosmetic purposes. The Institute’s Director, microsurgeon Professor Wayne Morrison called Neopec the future of reconstructive surgery. “If successful, we could use this method to treat any type of contour defect, whether it is a breast, a congenital deformity or a trauma,” he said. More information on Neopec will soon be available on www.neopec.com.au.
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Neopec in the news
Neopec has been making waves in the Australian and international media. Numerous reports and interviews with the Institute’s key staff have appeared on television and radio, in newspapers and on the web. Neopec was even featured on the cover of Melbourne’s Herald Sun newspaper on 12 November 2009. As research activity gathers steam, media interest in Neopec is sure to continue to grow.
