Breast Disease

BACKGROUND: Sentinel lymph node biopsy in breast cancer is considered the standard of staging in cases of clinically negative lymph nodes. Its omission in favor of axillary dissection generates significant morbidity. OBJECTIVE: To determine the total number of sentinel node biopsy procedures in breast cancer in Colombia from 2017 through 2020, model and analyze them as if they were performed only in stage I breast cancer patients, and integrate their results into the concepts of quality of medical care...

BACKGROUND: Tucatinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor currently used in salvage therapy for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast and colorectal cancer. The use of tucatinib alone or in combination with ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) in the treatment of advanced HER2-positive cancers is rapidly expanding. OBJECTIVE/METHODS: We report the case of a 66-year-old female who presented to the dermatology clinic with a one-year history of widespread telangiectasias that began after initiation of combination chemotherapy with tucatinib and T-DM1 for metastatic HER2-positive invasive ductal carcinoma...

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer tumor microenvironment (TME) is a promising target for immunotherapy. Autophagy, and cancer stem cells (CSCs) maintenance are essential processes involved in tumorigenesis, tumor survival, invasion, and treatment resistance. Overexpression of angiogenic chemokine interleukin-8 (IL-8) in breast cancer TME is associated with oncogenic signaling pathways, increased tumor growth, metastasis, and poor prognosis. OBJECTIVE: Thus, we aimed to investigate the possible anti-tumor effect of neutralizing antibodies against IL-8 by evaluating its efficacy on autophagic activity and breast CSC maintenance...

AIM: To retrospectively study the therapeutic modalities of primary breast sarcomas in view of the data of a local Tunisian experience. METHODS: It is a monocentric, descriptive, retrospective study including 13 cases of primary breast sarcoma treated over a period of 25 years (1995-2020) in the oncological radiotherapy department of a university hospital in Sousse, Tunisia. RESULTS: In our study, 13 cases of non-metastatic breast sarcomas that has been identified, divided into ten cases of phyllodes sarcomas and three cases of non-phyllodes sarcomas...

BACKGROUND: Tumour microenvironment (TME) contributes to resistance to anti-cancer drugs through multiple mechanisms including secretion of pro-survival factors by cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs). In this study, we determined the chemotherapy resistance producing potential of CAFs in molecular subtypes of breast cancer. METHODS: The CAFs were isolated from fresh lumpectomy/mastectomy specimens of different molecular subtypes of breast cancer. The CAFs were cultured and secretome was collected from each breast cancer subtype...

INTRODUCTION: Chemotherapy is conventionally offered to non-stage IV breast cancer patients with metastatic nodes. However, the RxPONDER trial showed that chemotherapy can be omitted in selected patients with 1-3 metastatic nodes if the 21-gene assay recurrence score is ≤25. We aimed to investigate if axillary ultrasound can identify this group of patients with limited nodal burden so that they can undergo upfront surgery followed by gene assay testing, to potentially avoid chemotherapy...

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) patients' diagnosis and management was affected by a global reorganization after the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Our study aimed to assess the impact of the pandemic on the pathological stage of newly diagnosed patients with BC compared to pre-pandemic and to identify predictive factors of tumor advanced stage. METHODS: Pathological records of all consecutive newly operated BC patients between March 2020 and December 2021 were reviewed retrospectively...

BACKGROUND: Male breast cancer (MBC) accounts for one percent of all breast cancers. Due to the lack of awareness and routine screening programs, most patients present with systemic disease at the time of diagnosis with low overall survival. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the prognostic factors of male breast cancer and its correlation with established prognostic parameters and patient outcomes. METHODS: Thirty-eight male breast cancer patients are identified from the MKA Breast Cancer Clinic database, and their corresponding clinical and pathological characteristics are obtained...

BACKGROUND: As physical inactivity and poor sleep quality may impose additional risk for cancer recurrence and overall mortality in postmenopausal breast cancer (PMBC) survivors, it is important to gain insight into the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on their physical activity (PA) and sleep level. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the course of their physical activity (PA) and sleep throughout governmental measures against COVID-19 during 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic...

BACKGROUND: The p53 mutation in breast cancer confers a worse prognosis and is usually associated with p53 overexpression (p53+) on immunohistochemistry. Previous studies have shown that p53+ tumors could be associated with low axillary tumor burden (ATB). OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the association between p53+ and ATB in a large series of breast cancers as an aid to personalizing axillary surgical treatment. METHODS: We retrieved 1762 infiltrating breast carcinomas from our database that were treated with upfront surgery in Hospital del Mar from 2004 to 2018...

AIM: In the present study, we sought to explore potential differences in the expression and promoter methylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1) between tumor and marginal cells of breast cancer lesions. METHODS: A total of 50 randomly selected patients with breast cancer (BCa) undergoing needle biopsy were enrolled. Clinical specimens containing both tumor and marginal cells were collected and preserved. After DNA extraction using specific primers, MAPK1 mRNA and promoter methylation were measured with spectrophotometry at 260/280 nm absorption wavelengths...

BACKGROUND: Endoscopy-assisted breast conserving surgery (E-BCS) was developed over 10 years ago as a method for breast cancer treatment with the potential advantage of less noticeable scarring. However, the evidence supporting its superiority over conventional breast conserving surgery (C-BCS) remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to compare the outcomes of E-BCS and C-BCS for the treatment of early breast cancer. METHODS: A comprehensive search for relevant articles was performed using specific keywords in Medline, Scopus, ClinicalTrials...

Lymphedema (LE) in a breast cancer patient usually results from axillary lymph node dissection, sentinel lymph node biopsy, and/or axillary radiotherapy. Although lymphatic obstruction and consequent LE can occur due to axillary lymph node involvement, such presentation in breast cancer patients has rarely been reported. This report describes the case of a 50-year-old lady with right breast carcinoma who presented with right upper limb lymphedema. Surprisingly, she did not have any bulky axillary lymphadenopathy that could have accounted for lymphedema of the upper limb, but a suspicious breast mass was present on clinical examination...

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) and obesity are two closely associated pathologies with increasing incidence and mortality rates. Bilateral Breast Cancer (BBC) displays a low incidence rate within BC and obesity represents a major risk factor. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to analyzed BBC clinicopathological features distribution and determine the potential influence of obesity in BBC in these same features and overall survival. METHODS: Clinicopathological information was obtained from 42 cases of women with BBC diagnosed in IPO-Porto...

BACKGROUND: Amyloidosis is an uncommon disorder characterized by the extracellular deposition of amorphous and insoluble proteins in an abnormal fibrillary configuration. Mammary amyloidosis is an unusual and easily overlooked diagnosis with an ambivalent presentation that could mimic breast cancer. CASE REPORT: We here report the case of 60-year-old Caucasian woman who presented to our surgical oncology department for clinically and radiologically suspicious breast mass...

INTRODUCTION: In breast cancer patients undergoing mastectomy without reconstruction, an external breast prosthesis could aid patients' recovery, improve body image and confidence by helping to regain a symmetrical chest appearance when dressed. However, external breast prosthesis preferences among Asian breast cancer patients were not widely studied. We aimed to compare patients' experience with the conventional commercially manufactured standard-sized (small, medium, large, extra-large) bra and prosthesis versus customized hand-knitted external breast prosthesis with patient's bra after unilateral mastectomy at a tertiary hospital...

BACKGROUND: Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is incurable. Systemic therapy is the standard treatment; however, an optimal sequence of chemotherapy has not been established. OBJECTIVE: Evaluating effectiveness and safety of eribulin in MBC treatment and comparing the results obtained with published literature. METHODS: Observational, descriptive and retrospective study of patients with MBC treated with eribulin from 01/12/2015 to 30/10/2021...

INTRODUCTION: Studies in recent years have shown that parental environmental experiences can affect their offspring's risk of breast cancer (BC). We assessed the effect of different paternal factors on BC risk in offspring by reviewing the existing literature. METHOD: This systematic review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute's (JBI) method for systematic reviews of qualitative evidence. The primary keywords were searched in reliable databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Elsevier, SID, and Wiley in English until 31 December 2021...

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among females, with an incidence of 6,41,000 cases annually. The genetic makeup of the individuals, ethnicity, geographical location, lifestyle, and BMI are some well-described factors associated with breast cancer. It is well known that pathogenic variants in BRCA1 and BRCA2 are associated with a majority of hereditary breast cancer. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified more than 80 germline susceptibility loci responsible for hereditary breast cancer...

BACKGROUND: Hormonal receptor (HR) positive breast tumors are common. Adjuvant hormonal therapy (AHT) with tamoxifen or Aromatase Inhibitors (AIs) is beneficial depending on the stage of the tumor. Despite the fact that AHT has been shown to improve survival and recurrence, Dutch adherence rates, which were mostly dependent on Tamoxifen prescriptions until 2006, plummeted from 80% after one year to 50% after five years. Nonadherence with AHT reduces its effectiveness. This research presents more recent adherence statistics (from 2006 to 2016), on a larger sample (7,996 vs 1,451), as well as factors that influence AHT adherence...