The characteristics and risk factors of breast cancer patients trend distinctive regional differences: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the characteristics and risk factors of breast cancer patients in a tertiary care setting. METHODS: The retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, Karachi, and comprised data of all patients diagnosed with breast cancer from March 2017 to December 2021. Demographic characteristics, clinical presentation, stage of the disease and histopathological characteristics were noted. Data related to all the variables was not available in all cases. Data was analysed using SPSS 23. RESULTS: Of the 690 patients, 683(99%) were females and 7(1%) were males. The mean age at presentation was 49.3±13.5 years, while the mean duration of symptoms was 10.24±17.64) months. Most of the females were married 642(93%) and multiparous 484(70.9%), while 293(42.5%) had breastfed their children for >1 year, and 412(59.7%) had no history of contraception use. The most common stage at presentation was stage II (48.6%), and most patients had grade II 395(57.2%) invasive ductal carcinoma, with Luminal A molecular subtype noted in 287(41.6%) cases. CONCLUSIONS: The characteristics of breast cancer in the sample had certain distinctions compared to other populations. It is important to integrate all datasets and develop guidelines appropriate to Pakistani population.

The effects of contemporary treatment of DCIS on the risk of developing an ipsilateral invasive Breast cancer (iIBC) in the Dutch population.

PURPOSE: To assess the effects of contemporary treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) on the risk of developing an ipsilateral invasive breast cancer (iIBC) in the Dutch female population. METHODS: Clinical data was obtained from the Netherlands Cancer Registry (NCR), a nationwide registry of all primary malignancies in the Netherlands integrated with the data from PALGA, the Dutch nationwide network and registry of histo- and cytopathology in the Netherlands, on all women in the Netherlands treated for primary DCIS from 2005 to 2015, resulting in a population-based cohort of 14.419 women. Cumulative iIBC incidence was assessed and associations of DCIS treatment type with subsequent iIBC risk were evaluated by multivariable Cox regression analyses. RESULTS: Ten years after DCIS diagnosis, the cumulative incidence of iIBC was 3.1% (95% CI: 2.6-3.5%) in patients treated by breast conserving surgery (BCS) plus radiotherapy (RT), 7.1% (95% CI: 5.5-9.1) in patients treated by BCS alone, and 1.6% (95% CI: 1.3-2.1) in patients treated by mastectomy. BCS was associated with a significantly higher risk for iIBC compared to BCS + RT during the first 5 years after treatment (HR 2.80, 95% CI: 1.91-4.10%). After 5 years of follow-up, the iIBC risk declined in the BCS alone group but remained higher than the iIBC risk in the BCS + RT group (HR 1.73, 95% CI: 1.15-2.61). CONCLUSIONS: Although absolute risks of iIBC were low in patients treated for DCIS with either BCS or BCS + RT, risks remained higher in the BCS alone group compared to patients treated with BCS + RT for at least 10 years after DCIS diagnosis.

Circulating levels of biomarkers and risk of ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast in the UK Biobank study.

Observational studies have shown associations between circulating levels of various biomarkers (eg, total cholesterol [TC], low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL], insulin-like growth factor-1 [IGF-1], C-reactive protein [CRP] and glycated hemoglobin-1c [HbA1c]) and the risk of invasive breast cancer (IBC). Ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast (DCIS) is a nonobligate precursor of IBC and shares several risk factors with it. However, the relationship between these biomarkers and DCIS risk remains unexplored. We studied the association between circulating levels of TC, LDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), Lipoprotein (a) (Lp-(a)), IGF-1, CRP and HbA1c, with the risk of DCIS in 156801women aged 40 to 69 years and breast cancer-free at enrolment when blood samples and information on demographic and health-related factors were collected. Incident cases of DCIS were ascertained during the follow-up via linkage to the UK cancer registries Multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations of interest. In all, 969 DCIS incident cases were diagnosed during 11.4 years of follow-up. Total cholesterol was inversely associated with the risk of DCIS (HRquintile(Q)5vsQ1 = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.27-0.82, Ptrend = .008). Conversely, LDL-C was positively associated with DCIS risk (HRQ3vsQ1 = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.01-2.04, HRQ4vsQ1 = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.04-2.47, HRQ5vsQ1 = 2.29, 95% CI: 1.36-3.88, Ptrend = .004). In postmenopausal women, CRP had a weak positive association with DCIS risk, while HbA1c showed a nonlinear association with the risk. These results, in conjunction with those from previous studies on IBC, provide support for the association of several biomarkers with the risk of an early stage of breast cancer.

Germline Genetic Testing Among Women ≤ 45 Years of Age with Ductal Carcinoma In Situ Versus Invasive Breast Cancer in a Large Integrated Health Care System.

BACKGROUND: We compared the results of hereditary cancer multigene panel testing among patients ≤ 45 years of age diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) versus invasive breast cancer (IBC) in a large integrated health care system. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of hereditary cancer gene testing among women ≤ 45 years of age diagnosed with DCIS or IBC at Kaiser Permanente Northern California between September 2019 and August 2020 was performed. During the study period, institutional guidelines recommended the above population be referred to genetic counselors for pretesting counseling and testing. RESULTS: A total of 61 DCIS and 485 IBC patients were identified. Genetic counselors met with 95% of both groups, and 86.4% of DCIS patients and 93.9% of IBC patients (p = 0.0339) underwent gene testing. Testing differed by race/ethnicity (p = 0.0372). Among those tested, 11.76% (n = 6) of DCIS patients and 16.71% (n = 72) of IBC patients had a pathogenic variant (PV) or likely pathogenic variant (LPV) based on the 36-gene panel (p = 0.3650). Similar trends were seen in 13 breast cancer (BC)-related genes (p = 0.0553). Family history of cancer was significantly associated with both BC-related and non-BC-related PVs in IBC, but not DCIS. CONCLUSION: In our study, 95% of patients were seen by a genetic counselor when age was used as an eligibility criterion for referral. While larger studies are needed to further compare the prevalence of PVs/LPVs among DCIS and IBC patients, our data suggest that even in younger patients, the prevalence of PVs/LPVs in BC-related genes is lower in DCIS patients.

Differences in clinical characteristics and prognosis between breast neuroendocrine carcinoma and breast invasive ductal carcinoma: A multicentre population-based study from China.

AIM: We constructed a multicentre cohort in China to analyse the differences in clinical characteristics, treatment strategies and prognoses between breast neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) and invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) of the breast. METHODS: All patients with early-stage breast cancer who attended three hospitals in Beijing from 2000 to 2018 were included in the study. We used propensity score matching to make a 1:3 match between NEC and IDC. RESULTS: After propensity score matching, 153 patients with IDC and 51 patients with NEC were analysed. Multivariate Cox regression showed that compared to patients with IDC, patients with NEC had a worse disease-free survival (HR = 2.94, 95% CI: 1.69-5.12, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: NEC patients have a worse disease-free survival than IDC patients.

Asociación entre el diagnóstico de carcinoma mamario y la actividad de la enzima lactoperoxidasa sérica / Association between the diagnosis of mammary carcinoma and serum lactoperoxidase enzyme activity

Fundamento: La enzima lactoperoxidasa tiocianato es una proteína producida por células epiteliales en los acinos mamarios. Los carcinomas de la mama constituyen un tipo de cáncer que se origina por la transformación maligna de las células acinares de la mama y se caracterizan por el crecimiento y multiplicación descontrolado. Por tanto, podría existir una correlación entre el cáncer de mama y el aumento de la actividad sérica de la lactoperoxidasa. Objetivo: Determinar la asociación entre el diagnóstico de carcinoma mamario y la actividad aumentada de la enzima lactoperoxidasa sérica en muestras de pacientes que han sido atendidos en el Hospital Oncológico María Curie de Camagüey en el periodo de abril a agosto del 2022. Métodos: Se desarrolló un estudio correlacional en el Centro de Inmunología y Productos Biológicos de Camagüey, en el período de abril a agosto del 2022. Se empleó la citología por aspiración con aguja fina para el diagnóstico histopatológico del carcinoma mamario y se determinó la actividad de la enzima lactoperoxidasa sérica mediante el método del pirogalol salicilato. Se emplearon las pruebas t de student y chi-cuadrado para el análisis estadístico de los datos. Resultados: El carcinoma ductal infiltrante fue el subtipo de cáncer más frecuente con un 94,1 por ciento del total de las muestras. Se encontraron diferencias significativas entre los grupos de muestras analizadas p ( 0.000. De un total de 34 muestras positivas, 32 presentaron aumento de la actividad enzimática. Conclusiones: Hubo asociación entre el diagnóstico de carcinoma mamario y niveles aumentados de la enzima lactoperoxidasa sérica(AU)

Background: The enzyme lactoperoxidase thiocyanate is a protein produced by epithelial cells in the mammary acini. Breast carcinomas are a type of cancer that originates from the malignant transformation of the acinar cells of the breast and are characterized by uncontrolled growth and multiplication. Therefore, there could be a correlation between breast cancer and increased serum lactoperoxidase activity. Objective: To determine the association between the diagnosis of mammary carcinoma and the increased activity of the serum lactoperoxidase enzyme in samples of patients who have been treated at the Maria Curie Oncology Hospital in Camagüey from April to August 2022. Methods: A correlational study was developed at the Center for Immunology and Biological Products of Camagüey, from April to August 2022. Fine-needle aspiration cytology was used for the histopathological diagnosis of mammary carcinoma and the activity of serum lactoperoxidase enzyme by the pyrogallol salicylate method. Student's t and chi-square tests were used in the statistical analysis of the data. Results: Infiltrating ductal carcinoma was the most frequent subtype of cancer with 94,1 percent of the total samples. Significant differences were found between the groups of samples analyzed p ( 0,000. Of a total of 34 positive samples, 32 showed increased enzyme activity. Conclusions: There was an association between the diagnosis of mammary carcinoma and increased levels of the serum lactoperoxidase enzyme(AU)

Cáncer de mama en hombres: revisión de casos en el Hospital Regional de Talca / Breast cancer in men: review of cases at "Hospital Regional de Talca"

Breast cancer in men is a rare pathology. The most common clinical presentation is a palpable and painless retroareolar nodule. In men, it is a rare pathology, there are few studies on the matter, where breast cancer trials frequently exclude men. Objective: to present the incidence of breast cancer in men from the "Regional Hospital of Talca" Method: Retrospective and descriptive study of cases of breast cancer in men who have been treated and followed up in the Breast Pathology Unit of the Regional Hospital of Talca from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2021.Results: There were 9 cases of breast cancer in men. Average age at diagnosis was 63 years, all patients were 50 years of age or older. One hundred percent of patients consulted for a self-palpable breast nodule. Average size on physical examination was 30 mm. The most frequent histology was invasive ductal carcinoma (56%), followed by invasive tubular carcinoma (22%) and ductal carcinoma in situ (11%). Immunohistochemistry was 100% positive for estrogen and progesterone receptor. Surgery in 56% of cases was total mastectomy with axillary dissection, and in 33% it was total mastectomy alone. 4 patients underwent adjuvant treatment with chemotherapy, and just one required a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. During follow-up, only 2 patients died. Conclusion. Breast cancer in men is not very prevalent and the management is extrapolated from large studies in women, we believe that it is essential to have studies in male patients, to really have clarity on the behavior and evolution of the disease.

Healthy lifestyle index and the risk of ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast in the Women's Health Initiative.

A relatively high healthy lifestyle index (HLI) score, representing a healthy diet, participation in moderate to vigorous physical exercise, no smoking, low to no alcohol intake and a normal body mass index, has been associated with a reduced risk of invasive breast cancer. However, no study has shown an association between the HLI and the risk of ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast (DCIS), which is considered to be a nonobligate precursor of invasive breast cancer. We evaluated this association in a prospective cohort of 132 230 postmenopausal women, aged 50 to 79 years, recruited between 1993 and 1998 across the United States and enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative study. The HLI score was created and categorized into quartiles. During an average follow-up of 15.4 years, 2035 DCIS cases were ascertained. Multivariable-adjusted Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association of HLI with the risk of DCIS. Women in the highest HLI quartile had a lower DCIS risk than those in the lowest quartile (HR4thQT  = 0.80, 95% CI, 0.70-0.92) and this association was stronger in women with a family history of breast cancer (HR4thQT  = 0.70, 95% CI, 0.52-0.93), and for ER+/PR+ DCIS (HR4thQT  = 0.66, 95% CI, 0.52-0.83). These findings suggest that there is an inverse association between HLI and risk of DCIS, and suggest that the adoption of a healthy lifestyle might lower the risk of DCIS.

Short- and long-term recurrence of early-stage invasive ductal carcinoma in middle-aged and old women with different treatments.

Most new cases and the highest mortality rates of breast cancer occur among middle-aged and old women. The recurrence rate of early-stage invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) among women aged ≥ 50 years and receiving different treatments remains unclear. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine these rates. We used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data for this nationwide population-based cohort study. All women aged ≥ 50 years and diagnosed with early-stage IDC between 2000 and 2015 were identified and divided into three treatment groups, namely, breast conservation therapy (BCT), mastectomy alone (MAS), and mastectomy with radiation therapy (MAS + RT). The recurrence rates of IDC among these groups were then compared. The BCT group had a lower short-term recurrence risk than the MAS and MAS + RT groups (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.00 vs. 2.90 [95% CI 1.36-2.66] vs. 2.07 [95% CI 0.97-4.44]); however, the BCT group also had a higher long-term recurrence risk than MAS and MAS + RT groups (HR 1.00 vs. 0.30 [95% CI 0.26-0.35] vs. 0.43 [95% CI 0.30-0.63]). The high long-term recurrence rate of the BCT group was especially prominent at the 10- and 15-year follow-ups. The results provide valuable evidence of the most reliable treatment strategy for this population. Further studies including more variables and validation in other countries are warranted to confirm our findings.

The association between migraine and breast cancer risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Migraines is likely to play a protective role in the risk of breast cancer. Some studies have shown that there is an inverse relationship between migraine and breast cancer, and some studies have not found an association; therefore, results from previous studies have been inconclusive and we conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate association between migraine and breast cancer. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus and Web of Science were searched to identify studies on the association between migraine and breast cancer from January 1, 2000 through March 12, 2021. The pooled relative risk (RR) and the 95% confidence intervals (CI) was used to measure this relationship by assuming a random effects meta-analytic model. RESULTS: A total of 10 studies were included. Our study revealed that there was statistically significant inverse relationship between migraine and breast cancer in case-control studies 0.68 [95% CI: 0.56, 0.82], but no significant relationship was found in cohort studies 0.98 [95% CI: 0.91, 1.06]. Also, migraine reduced the risk of ductal carcinoma 0.84 [95% CI: 0.73, 0.96], and lobular carcinoma 0.83 [95% CI: 0.73, 0.96]. With respect to ER_PR status no association between migraine and breast cancer was found. We found no evidence of publication bias. CONCLUSION: Our analysis demonstrated a statistically significantly inverse relationship between migraine and total risk of breast cancer only in case-control studies. In summary, cohort studies do not support an inverse association between migraine and incident breast cancer. While in case-control studies, migraine has an inverse association with ductal carcinoma and lobular carcinoma of breast.

Association between antidepressant use and second breast cancer event after ductal carcinoma in situ diagnosis: a nested case-control study.

PURPOSE: Controversy exists regarding the potential relationship between antidepressant use and risk of breast cancer. No previous studies have evaluated the relationship between antidepressant use after diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and risk of a subsequent breast cancer restricted to women with a history of DCIS. METHODS: We conducted a population-based, nested case-control study in western Washington State. Cases included 337 women diagnosed with DCIS and a subsequent breast cancer and they were compared to 592 individually matched controls (on age, year of DCIS diagnosis, primary treatment, histology, grade, and disease-free survival time) who were diagnosed with DCIS but not a subsequent breast cancer. Information on antidepressant use after DCIS diagnosis was obtained from comprehensive medical records reviews. Antidepressant use was defined as greater or equal to 3 months of duration. RESULTS: Antidepressant use after initial DCIS was associated with a 1.4-fold increased risk of a subsequent breast cancer event (adjusted OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.02, 1.95). Similar risks were observed when assessing individual antidepressant classes, however, there was no sufficient power across specific classes of antidepressants. CONCLUSIONS: Antidepressant use after DCIS diagnosis was associated with an increased risk of subsequent breast cancer in women. Further studies are needed to confirm the associations observed.

Neoadjuvant Endocrine Therapy and Delays in Surgery for Ductal Carcinoma in Situ: Implications for the Coronavirus Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Surgical delays are associated with invasive cancer for patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). During the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET) was used as a bridge until postponed surgeries resumed. This study sought to determine the impact of NET on the rate of invasive cancer for patients with a diagnosis of DCIS who have a surgical delay compared with those not treated with NET. METHODS: Using the National Cancer Database, the study identified women with hormone receptor-positive (HR+) DCIS. The presence of invasion on final pathology was evaluated after stratifying by receipt of NET and by intervals based on time from diagnosis to surgery (≤30, 31-60, 61-90, 91-120, or 121-365 days). RESULTS: Of 109,990 women identified with HR+ DCIS, 276 (0.3%) underwent NET. The mean duration of NET was 74.4 days. The overall unadjusted rate of invasive cancer was similar between those who received NET ((15.6%) and those who did not (12.3%) (p = 0.10). In the multivariable analysis, neither the use nor the duration of NET were independently associated with invasion, but the trend across time-to-surgery categories demonstrated a higher rate of upgrade to invasive cancer in the no-NET group (p < 0.001), but not in the NET group (p = 0.97). CONCLUSIONS: This analysis of a pre-COVID cohort showed evidence for a protective effect of NET in HR+ DCIS against the development of invasive cancer as the preoperative delay increased, although an appropriately powered prospective trial is needed for a definitive answer.

The importance of ethnicity: Are breast cancer polygenic risk scores ready for women who are not of White European origin?

Polygenic risk scores (PRS) for disease risk stratification show great promise for application in general populations, but most are based on data from individuals of White European origin. We assessed two well validated PRS (SNP18, SNP143) in the Predicting-Risk-of-Cancer-At-Screening (PROCAS) study in North-West England for breast cancer prediction based on ethnicity. Overall, 9475 women without breast cancer at study entry, including 645 who subsequently developed invasive breast cancer or ductal carcinoma in situ provided DNA. All were genotyped for SNP18 and a subset of 1868 controls were genotyped for SNP143. For White Europeans both PRS discriminated well between individuals with and without cancer. For n = 395 Black (n = 112), Asian (n = 119), mixed (n = 44) or Jewish (n = 120) women without cancer both PRS overestimated breast cancer risk, being most marked for women of Black and Jewish origin (P < .001). SNP143 resulted in a potential mean 40% breast cancer risk overestimation in the combined group of non-White/non-European origin. SNP-PRS that has been normalized based on White European ethnicity for breast cancer should not be used to predict risk in women of other ethnicities. There is an urgent need to develop PRS specific for other ethnicities, in order to widen access of this technology.

Invasive ductal carcinoma mammographic findings: Correlation with age, breast composition and tumor size.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify the mammographic findings associated with malignancy in different age groups, taking into account breast composition (BC) and lesion size. METHODS: Preoperative mammograms of 1023 invasive ductal carcinomas were retrospectively evaluated. According to the American College of Radiology Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System, cancer mammographic findings were classified as mass, calcifications, architectural distortion and asymmetry, and breasts were assessed as non-dense (A or B BC) and dense (C or D BC). Patient cohort was subdivided into three age groups (group 1: <50 years of age; group 2: between 50 and 69; group 3: ≥70 years of age). RESULTS: Significant results of multinomial logistic regression were the association between mass and non-dense breast (p < 0.0001) and the association between mass and tumor size larger than 15 mm (p = 0.0049). CONCLUSIONS: Mass finding of invasive ductal breast carcinoma is associated with breast composition and tumor size.

The Effect of Smoking on Progression from Ductal Carcinoma In Situ to Invasive Ductal Breast Carcinoma: A Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND/AIM: If ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is diagnosed by needle biopsy, invasion is often found by removing the entire tumor and performing pathological examination. Smoking is a risk factor for carcinogenesis in breast cancer. We examined the correlation between the risk of invasion found by postoperative pathology and smoking history in patients diagnosed with DCIS by preoperative biopsy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We examined 128 patients who were diagnosed with DCIS by preoperative biopsy. Multivariate analysis was performed on the risk factors for invasion diagnosed by postoperative pathological examination in all cases diagnosed with DCIS by preoperative biopsy. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis was performed on the risk factors for invasion diagnosed by postoperative pathological examination in all cases diagnosed with DCIS by preoperative biopsy. Number of pack-years was not an independent factor (p=0.349, OR=0.329), but current-smoker status (p=0.006, OR=not calculable) was an independent factor with VAB (p=0.018, OR=0.327). CONCLUSION: Tobacco components may have an influence on the progression from DCIS to invasive ductal carcinoma.

Epidemiology of Ductal Carcinoma In Situ.

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is thought to be a direct precursor of most cases of breast cancer and its incidence increases with age. However, the globally impressive rise of DCIS cases is probably an epidemiologic "artifact" that is mainly attributed to the establishment of screening mammography in developed countries. Furthermore, considering that usually there are no clinical findings of the disease, the initial detection of DCIS is a mammographic "event" in most cases. The risk factors for DCIS are similar to those for invasive cancer including, among others, deleterious mutations in the BRCA genes, family history of breast cancer, nulliparity, late age at first birth, increased breast density, personal history of benign breast disease, and postmenopausal obesity.

Epidemiological Trends of Breast Cancer in Southern Ethiopia: A Seven-Year Retrospective Review.

INTRODUCTION: African women are affected by cancer at an early age of their productivity. However, the exact prevalence and incidence of cancer, including breast cancer is not known in most sub-Saharan African countries, including Ethiopia because of lack of well-established cancer registry. This study aims to assess the epidemiology of breast cancer at Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital (HUCSH), the biggest referral hospital with cancer treatment center serving the southern part of the country. METHODS: Retrospective review of charts of all patients with a diagnosis of breast cancer between 2013 and 2019 at HUCSH was conducted. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect relevant data that include sociodemographic, symptoms, type of diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes. Data were entered using epidata version 3.1 and analyzed using MS Excel and SPSS version 20. RESULTS: Five hundred fifty-nine (18.6%) breast cancer cases were retrieved in 7 years between 2013 and 2019. Of this, 548 (98%) were women. The median ages of the patents were 38 years. Invasive ductal carcinoma was the leading 309 (55.3%) histologic type followed by 185 (33.1%) lobular carcinoma. One hundred seventy-seven (31.7%) were moderately differentiated and 155 (27.7%) were poorly differentiated. Three hundred seventy-two (66.5%) were advanced breast cancer (Stages III and IV). Trends of breast cancer showed the case load is continuously increasing except with a slight reduction of cases in between 2015 and 2016. The majority were advanced breast cancer occurring at an early age by the time diagnosis made. Invasive ductal carcinomas were the predominant one. The trend also showed a continuous increment of cancer case load. Therefore, cancer registration center establishment, community awareness creation, and intensive early detection strategy are mandatory.

Exposure to airborne cadmium and breast cancer stage, grade and histology at diagnosis: findings from the E3N cohort study.

Molecular studies suggest that cadmium due to its estrogenic properties, might play a role in breast cancer (BC) progression. However epidemiological evidence is limited. This study explored the association between long-term exposure to airborne cadmium and risk of BC by stage, grade of differentiation, and histological types at diagnosis. A nested case-control study of 4401 cases and 4401 matched controls was conducted within the French E3N cohort. A Geographic Information System (GIS)-based metric demonstrated to reliably characterize long-term environmental exposures was employed to evaluate airborne exposure to cadmium. Multivariable adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using conditional logistic regression models. There was no relationship between cadmium exposure and stage of BC. Also, no association between cadmium exposure and grade of differentiation of BC was observed. However, further analyses by histological type suggested a positive association between cadmium and risk of invasive tubular carcinoma (ITC) BC [ORQ5 vs Q1 = 3.4 (95% CI 1.1-10.7)]. The restricted cubic spline assessment suggested a dose-response relationship between cadmium and ITC BC subtype. Our results do not support the hypothesis that airborne cadmium exposure may play a role in advanced BC risk, but suggest that cadmium may be associated with an increased risk of ITC.

Demographic, tumour, and treatment characteristics of female patients with breast cancer in Sri Lanka; results from a hospital-based cancer registry.

BACKGROUND: Although breast cancer is the most common cancer among Sri Lankan women, there is little published data on patient characteristics and treatment in the local context. We aimed to describe disease characteristics and management in a large contemporary cohort of women with breast cancer at the National Cancer Institute of Sri Lanka (NCISL). METHODS: All women with invasive primary breast cancers diagnosed during 2016-2020 were identified from the NCISL breast cancer registry. The NCISL sees approximately 40% of all cancer patients in Sri Lanka. Cancer stage at diagnosis was defined according to the Tumour, Node, and Metastasis (TNM) staging system and the Estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptor status was determined based on the results of immunohistochemistry tests. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the study cohort and treatment patterns. RESULTS: Over 5100 patients were diagnosed with breast cancer during the study period at the NCISL. The mean age of the women was 56 (SD 12) years. Common co-morbidities were hypertension (n = 1566, 30%) and diabetes mellitus (n = 1196, 23%). Two thirds (66%) of the cancers were early stage (stage I & II) at diagnosis. ER/PR positivity rate was 72% and HER-2 positivity rate was 22%. Two thirds of the women had undergone mastectomy while 68% had undergone axillary clearance. The rate of chemotherapy delivery was 91% for women with node positive disease while 77% of eligible women (i.e., after wide local excision or with > 3 positive lymph nodes) had received adjuvant radiotherapy. Endocrine therapy was initiated in 88% of eligible women with hormone receptor positive disease while rate of trastuzumab use was 59% among women with HER2 positive breast cancer. CONCLUSIONS: High percentage of advanced breast cancer at diagnosis and high prevalence of comorbidities are some of the major challenges faced in the management of breast cancer in Sri Lanka. Given that stage at diagnosis is the most important prognostic factor determining survival, greater efforts are needed to promote early diagnosis of breast cancer. Considerable lapses in the concordance between guideline recommendations and the delivery of cancer care warrants closer assessment and intervention.

Clinical and histopathological features of breast tumors in women: a cross-sectional study at three hospitals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

INTRODUCTION: there is a dearth of data on the epidemiology of breast tumors in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). This study aimed to determine the demographics, clinical patterns, and their association with histopathological types of breast tumors among females presently residing in KSA. METHODS: a multi-centric, cross-sectional study including female patients with symptoms suggestive of breast tumor was conducted at three hospitals in KSA from February 2019 to February 2020. The patient´s electronic health records were used to collect information related to their demographics, clinical findings including comordbities and symptoms and investigations. Binary logistic regression models were used to determine factors associated with the breast tumors. RESULTS: a total of 270 female patients were included in the study. The most frequently encountered symptom was a breast lump (95.9%, n = 259), followed by pain (18.9%, n = 51). More than half the population (53%, n = 143) had a histopathological diagnosis of fibroadenoma. Multivariate analysis revealed that patients > 46 years of age were less likely to present with fibroadenoma (AOR: 0.049 95% CI 0.02 - 0.15; p < 0.005). Those in the 31 - 45 years age group were less likely to present with ductal/lobular/papillary carcinomacompared to the less than 30 years group (AOR: 0.42, 95% CI 0.18 - 0.97; p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: in this population of Saudi women with symptoms suggestive of breast tumor, those aged less than 40 years were more likely to have a fibroadenoma whereas those above 40 years were more likely to have breast cancer.