Surveillance for Distant Metastasis in Breast Cancer Patients Who Underwent Contemporary Management: A Report from the Korean Breast Cancer Society Survivor Research Group.

BACKGROUND: Current guidelines recommend against the use of routine imaging tests to detect distant metastasis in asymptomatic breast cancer patients. However, recent advancements in effective therapeutics and diagnostic accuracy have raised the need to reassess the clinical efficacy of intensive metastasis surveillance. We report the results of a multicenter retrospective study to investigate the association between intensive imaging studies and survival outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the data of 4130 patients who underwent surgery from 11 hospitals in Korea between January 2010 and December 2011. Patients were divided into two groups on the basis of the intensity of metastasis imaging studies during their disease-free period. The types and intervals of the imaging studies were based on each physician's decisions. RESULTS: High-intensive screening showed a shorter distant metastasis-free survival [p < 0.001, hazard ratio (HR) 1.62; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.29-2.04], especially for patients in whom bone or lung was the first site of metastasis. With a median follow-up period of 110.0 months, the 5-year breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) rate was 96.5%. The high-intensity screening group showed significantly poorer BCSS compared with the low-intensity screening group (p < 0.001, HR 3.13; 95% CI 2.32-4.21). However, both multivariable analysis and propensity score matching analysis showed no significant association between the screening intensity and BCSS. CONCLUSIONS: Frequent imaging studies to detect distant metastasis were associated with earlier detection of distant metastasis, especially for lung and bone metastasis. However, intensive surveillance showed no apparent association with BCSS despite the use of currently available treatments.

Dietary Isoflavone Intake and Breast Cancer Prognosis: A Prospective Analysis and Meta-Analysis.

We aimed to examine the association between dietary isoflavone intake and the risk of breast cancer recurrence and summarize evidence on the role of dietary isoflavone intake in breast cancer prognosis. This prospective study included 592 breast cancer survivors who completed a dietary assessment. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models. Of the studies published until May 31, 2023, that were searched in PUBMED and EMBASE databases, 14 studies were selected. Adjusted HRs were combined using fixed- or random-effects models. During the median follow-up of 4.3 years, 47 recurrences were identified. The HR (95% CI) for recurrence comparing the highest versus the lowest tertile of isoflavones intake was 1.29 (0.60-2.78). In a meta-analysis of previously published data and ours, dietary isoflavone intake was associated with a better breast cancer prognosis. The combined HRs (95% CIs) comparing the extreme categories were 0.81 (0.67-0.98) for recurrence and 0.85 (0.76-0.96) for all-cause mortality. A nonlinear inverse association was observed between isoflavone intake and the risk of recurrence and all-cause mortality. Our study suggests that dietary isoflavone intake is associated with a favorable prognosis in breast cancer survivors and warrants further investigation.

Fisetin Inhibits UVA-Induced Expression of MMP-1 and MMP-3 through the NOX/ROS/MAPK Pathway in Human Dermal Fibroblasts and Human Epidermal Keratinocytes.

Fisetin is a flavonoid found in plants and has been reported to be effective in various human diseases. However, the effective mechanisms of ultraviolet-A (UVA)-mediated skin damage are not yet clear. In this study, we investigated the protective mechanisms of fisetin regarding UVA-induced human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) and human epidermal keratinocytes (HEKs) damages. Fisetin showed a cytoprotective effect against UVA irradiation and suppressed matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), MMP-1, and MMP-3 expression. In addition, fisetin was rescued, which decreased mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, reactive oxygen species production, and the downregulation of MAPK/AP-1 related protein and NADPH oxidase (NOX) mRNA levels. Furthermore, UVA-induced MMP-1 and MMP-3 were effectively inhibited by siRNAs to NOX 1 to 5 in HDFs and HEKs. These results indicate that fisetin suppresses UVA-induced damage through the NOX/ROS/MAPK pathway in HDFs and HEKs.

Characteristics and chronologically changing patterns of late-onset breast cancer in Korean women of age ≥ 70 years: A hospital based-registry study.

BACKGROUND: Women from Asian and western countries have vastly different ages of onset of breast cancer, with the disease tending to occur at an older age in the West. Through an investigation of the patterns of old-onset breast cancer (OBC) in Korean women, we aimed to identify the characteristics of Korean OBC and evaluate whether these patterns are changing in relation to increasing westernization. METHODS: This study retrospectively evaluated 102,379 patients who underwent surgical treatment of primary breast cancer between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2013 in Korea. We used hospital -based breast cancer registry and analyzed data from these patients using multiple linear regression analysis to compare the characteristics and chronologically changing patterns between OBC (70 years of age or older) and non-OBC (40-69 years of age) patients in Korea. RESULTS: A total of 6% of the 102,379 patients had OBC. Overall, OBC had more favorable biological features, such as a higher incidence of luminal A subtype, than did non-OBC, except for a higher incidence rate of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, OBC also presented with a higher overall disease stage, including higher T and M stages. Although the incidence rates of both OBC and non-OBC have increased overtime, the relative proportion of OBC patients has slightly increased, whereas that of non-OBC has slightly decreased. The increase in the incidence of both OBC and non-OBC was primarily due to the luminal A subtype. CONCLUSIONS: Based on a hospital-based registry, overall, Korean OBC had favorable biological features but showed a higher rate of TNBC and advanced cancer stages. The incidence trend of breast cancer in Korea is slowly shifting toward an older age at onset, largely due to the luminal A subtype. Our results may provide novel insights into OBC in Asia, and aid in the development of optimal management of the disease in Asia. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Retrospectively registered.

Association of lipid profile with obesity among breast cancer survivors: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The role of lipid metabolism in obesity and cancer manifestations cannot be underestimated, but whether alterations in lipid metabolism can manipulate the vasculature to promote obesity among breast cancer (BC) survivors is yet to be clearly understood. This study quantified plasma lipid and particle sizes using high-throughput proton (1H) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and tested their associations with obesity among breast cancer (BC) survivors. METHODS: A total of 348 (225 premenopausal and 123 postmenopausal) BC survivors enrolled from five hospitals in Korea were included. We assessed thirty-four plasma lipid biomarkers using 1H NMR, and obesity status was defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 25 kg/m2 or greater. Generalized linear and logistic regression models were applied to estimate the least-square means of BMI (kg/m2) and odds ratio (OR)s of obesity, respectively, and the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI)s across plasma lipid levels. RESULTS: Mean (SD) values of BMI was 23.3 (3.2) kg/m2 and 90 (25.9%) had BMI of ≥ 25 kg/m2. BMI levels increased with increasing total triglycerides (TG), TG in lipoproteins and very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) subfractions. However, BMI levels decreased with increasing tertiles of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol (C) and HDL particle size (HDL-p). Similar associations were observed in the logistic regression models. The increasing and decreasing BMI trends with TG and HDL profiles respectively were predominantly limited to premenopausal BC survivors. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing levels of plasma total TG and TG in lipoproteins were associated with increasing levels of BMI among premenopausal BC survivors. High HDL-C levels and large HDL-p were inversely associated with obesity among premenopausal BC survivors. Due to the cross-sectional design of this study, longitudinal studies are necessary to examine the association between obesity and lipid profile among BC survivors.

Nutrient intakes from supplement and factors associated with supplement use among breast cancer survivors: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the contribution of supplement use to total nutrient intake, the prevalence of inadequate nutrient intake and the factors associated with supplement use among breast cancer survivors. METHODS: A total of 701 Korean breast cancer survivors were included. We calculated the contribution of dietary supplements to total nutrient intake and the proportion of the population below the estimated average requirements (EARs) or exceeding the tolerable upper intake levels (ULs). Stepwise logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with dietary supplement use. RESULTS: A total of 66.5% of the survivors used dietary supplements, with multivitamins and minerals being the most commonly consumed ones. The per cent contribution of supplement to the total intake was the highest for vitamin C. 28.2%-55.4% of the non-users consumed below the EAR of riboflavin, folate and calcium; 6.1%, 4.9% and 6.5% of the supplement users consumed above the UL of vitamins A and C, and iron, respectively. Supplement users had higher education levels or longer survival time. CONCLUSION: 66.5% of Korean breast cancer survivors used dietary supplements. A higher education level or prolonged survival time was associated with higher use of dietary supplements.

Long-term risk of congestive heart failure in younger breast cancer survivors: A nationwide study by the SMARTSHIP group.

BACKGROUND: There is a controversy about late-onset congestive heart failure (CHF) among breast cancer survivors. This study investigated the incidence rate and risk factors of late-onset CHF more than 2 years after the breast cancer diagnosis. METHODS: A nationwide, retrospective study was conducted with the National Health Information Database. With 1:3 age- and sex-matched noncancer controls, Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to analyze the incidence and risk factors of late CHF. The cumulative incidence rate of late CHF was evaluated with a Kaplan-Meier analysis and a log-rank test. RESULTS: A total of 91,227 cases (286,480 person-years) and 273,681 controls (884,349 person-years) were evaluated between January 2007 and December 2013. The risks of late CHF were higher in cases than controls (hazard ratio [HR], 1.396; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.268-1.538). Younger survivors (age ≤ 50 years) showed a higher risk of late CHF than their younger counterparts (HR, 2.903; 95% CI, 2.425-3.474). Although older age was a risk factor for late CHF, older survivors (age ≥ 66 years) showed no difference in the risk of late CHF in comparison with their counterparts (HR, 0.906; 95% CI, 0.757-1.084). Anthracyclines and taxanes were risk factors for late CHF, although trastuzumab, radiation, and endocrine therapy were not. CONCLUSIONS: Young breast cancer survivors have a greater risk of late CHF than the young population without cancer. More attention should be paid to young breast cancer survivors who receive taxane- or anthracycline-based regimens over the long term.

Profiles of depressive symptoms and the association with anxiety and quality of life in breast cancer survivors: a latent profile analysis.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine profiles of depressive symptoms and the association with anxiety and quality of life (QOL) in breast cancer survivors. METHODS: A cross-sectional multicenter survey involving 5 hospitals in Korea was implemented between February 2015 and January 2017. A self-report survey included the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Short Form 36, and State and Trait Anxiety Scale. Data from 347 patients were analyzed. RESULTS: Latent profile analysis identified five profiles of depressive symptoms: (1) "no depression" (63.98%); (2) "mild depression with sleep problems" (16.43%); (3) "mild depression" (8.65%); (4) "moderate depression with anhedonia" (7.78%); and (5) "moderately severe depression" (3.17%). Results from Fisher's exact test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) to examine whether sociodemographic and clinical characteristics distinguish the classes indicated that marital status, income and education as well as C-reactive protein distinguished a few classes. Multivariate analysis of covariance and analysis of covariance results indicated that both types of anxiety as well as several dimensions of QOL differed between the identified classes. CONCLUSIONS: The current results suggest that although identified classes were characterized overall by severity of depression, a few classes also reflected pronounced individual symptom patterns, warranting tailored interventions for these symptom patterns, along with overall severity of depression.

Optimal treatment of breast cancer in women older than 75 years: a Korea Breast Cancer Registry analysis.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of adjuvant modalities for elderly Asian breast cancer patients using population-based data from the Korean Breast Cancer Registry database. METHODS: We identified 53,582 patients who underwent curative surgery between January 2005 and December 2010. The primary end point was the comparison of overall survival between the administration or omission of adjuvant treatment modalities, including endocrine treatment, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, in the elderly group (older than 75 years) compared with the control group (younger than 75 years). RESULTS: Of the 53,582 patients analyzed, the total number of elderly patients was 901 (1.7%), and the number of control patients was 52,681 (98.3%). Although elderly patients were found to have larger tumor sizes (p = 0.024) and higher pathological stages (p < 0.001) than the control group, elderly patients were less likely to undergo adjuvant treatment compared to the control group. However, use of endocrine treatment in elderly patients with HR-positive breast cancer is associated with improved overall survival (OS) (adjusted OR 0.417; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.240-0.726; p = 0.002). Furthermore, chemotherapy was associated with a significant improvement in OS in patients with stage II and III breast cancer (adjusted OR 0.657; 95% CI 0.462-0.934; p = 0.019). CONCLUSION: Endocrine treatment and chemotherapy for elderly patients are associated with improved OS. Therefore, personalized decision-making based on the potential survival benefit of adjuvant treatment modalities should be made with the careful counseling of all elderly patients with breast cancer.

Childbirth in young Korean women with previously treated breast cancer: The SMARTSHIP study.

PURPOSE: Alongside the modern trend of delaying childbirth, the high incidence of breast cancer among young women is causing significant pregnancy-related problems in Korea. We estimated the incidence of childbirth for young Korean breast cancer survivors compared with women who did not have breast cancer using a nationally representative dataset. METHODS: Using a database from the National Health Insurance Service in South Korea, we analyzed 109,680 women who were between 20 and 40 years old between 2007 and 2013. They were prospectively followed, and childbirth events were recorded until December 31, 2015. We compared childbirth rates and characteristics between the breast cancer survivors and the noncancer controls. RESULTS: Compared to 10,164 childbirths among 91,400 women without breast cancer (incidence rate: 22.3/1000), 855 childbirths occurred among 18,280 breast cancer survivors (incidence rate: 9.4/1000); the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for childbirth was 0.41 (95% CI 0.38-0.44). Chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, and target therapy were associated with the decreasing childbirths among survivors, with corresponding adjusted HRs of 0.61 (0.53-0.70), 0.44 (0.38-0.51), and 0.62 (0.45-0.86), respectively. Breast cancer survivors had a lower probability of full-term delivery and a higher frequency of preterm labor than controls, with corresponding adjusted ORs of 0.78 (0.68-0.90) and 1.33 (1.06-1.65), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We showed that a history of breast cancer has a negative effect on childbirth among young premenopausal women in Korea. Breast cancer survivors should be aware that they have a higher risk for preterm labor and are less likely to have a full-term delivery than women without a history of breast cancer.

Unmet needs and related factors of Korean breast cancer survivors: a multicenter, cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Identification of specific needs in patients with cancer is very important for the provision of patient-centered medical service. The aim of this study was to investigate the unmet needs and related factors of Korean breast cancer survivors. METHODS: A multicenter, cross-sectional, interview survey was performed among 332 Korean breast cancer survivors. The Comprehensive Needs Assessment Tool for cancer patients was administered to survivors who gave written informed consent to participate. Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA and multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: The level of unmet needs was highest in the domain 'Information and education' (mean ± SD; 1.70 ± 1.14) and the item with the highest level of unmet needs was 'Needed help in coping with fear of recurrence' (2.04 ± 1.09). Unmet needs were correlated with age, stage, multiplicity, HER2, treatment state, marital status, employment, psychosocial status, and problems in EQ-5D dimensions. In multiple regression analysis, the 50-59 age group showed a higher level of recognition for physical symptom needs and the unemployed group expressed greater needs for information and education. Survivors with multiplicity had greater needs in the domains of healthcare staff and physical symptom. The stress group showed high levels of needs in all domains except religious support. The group with thoughts of suicide showed higher levels of unmet needs for physical symptom. CONCLUSION: Most prevalent unmet needs in Korean breast cancer survivors were found in the 'information and education' domain. The 50-59 age group, unemployment, multiplicity, stress and suicidal thoughts were associated with higher levels of unmet needs among Korean breast cancer survivors. Our findings revealed more vulnerable breast cancer survivors with unmet needs and physicians should take a precision approach to satisfy unmet needs of these survivors.

Nationwide Analysis of Treatment Patterns for Korean Breast Cancer Survivors Using National Health Insurance Service Data.

BACKGROUND: The National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) established a healthcare claim database for all Korean citizens. This study aimed to analyze the NHIS data and investigate the patterns of breast cancer treatments. METHODS: We constructed a retrospective female breast cancer cohort by analyzing annual incident cases. The annual number of newly diagnosed female breast cancer was compared between the NHIS data and Korea National Cancer Incidence Database (KNCIDB). The annual treatment patterns including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, endocrine therapy and targeted therapy were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 148,322 women with newly diagnosed invasive breast cancer during 2006-2014 was identified. The numbers of newly diagnosed invasive breast cancer cases were similar between the NHIS data and KNCIDB, which demonstrated a strong correlation (r = 0.995; P < 0.001). The age distribution of the breast cancer cases in the NHIS data and KNCIDB also showed a strong correlation (r = 1.000; P < 0.001). About 85% of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients underwent operations. Although the proportions of chemotherapy use have not changed during 2006-2014, the total number of chemotherapy prescriptions sharply increased during this period. The proportions of radiotherapy and anti-hormonal therapy increased. Among the anti-hormonal agents, tamoxifen was the most frequently prescribed medication, and letrozole was the most preferred endocrine treatment in patients aged ≥ 50 years. CONCLUSION: Along with the increased breast cancer incidence in Korea, the frequencies of breast cancer treatments have increased. The NHIS data can be a feasible data source for future research.

Comparison of conventional thyroidectomy and endoscopic thyroidectomy via axillo-bilateral breast approach in papillary thyroid carcinoma patients.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic thyroidectomy has been applied to solve the cosmetic problems that resulted from conventional thyroidectomy. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the surgical outcomes of conventional and endoscopic thyroidectomies via axillo-bilateral-breast approach (ABBA) in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). METHODS: Between May 2007 and February 2011, 1003 patients with PTC underwent thyroidectomies. The eight hundred and thirty patients underwent conventional thyroidectomy and 173 patients underwent endoscopic thyroidectomy via ABBA. Clinicopathologic characteristics, complications, and surgical completeness were analyzed. RESULTS: The mean age was 49.53 years who received a conventional thyroidectomy and 38.90 years in endoscopic thyroidectomy (P < 0.0001). The conventional thyroidectomy group underwent more extensive surgery than the endoscopic thyroidectomy group but the operation time was longer in the endoscopic thyroidectomy group (P < 0.0001). The mean hospitalization length was 6.98 days following open thyroidectomy and 6.40 days after endoscopic thyroidectomy (P = 0.003). The tumor size was larger in the conventional thyroidectomy group than the endoscopic thyroidectomy group and a lesser number of lymph nodes were retrieved in the endoscopic thyroidectomy group compared to the conventional thyroidectomy group (P < 0.0001). The postoperative complications and thyroglobulin levels in both groups were not significantly different. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that conventional and endoscopic thyroidectomy via ABBA has similar surgical outcomes in PTC patients. Therefore, endoscopic thyroidectomy via ABBA may be an appropriate surgical alternative to conventional thyroidectomy for treating PTC in selected patients.

Effect of axillary lymph node dissection after sentinel lymph node biopsy on overall survival in patients with T1 or T2 node-positive breast cancer: report from the Korean Breast Cancer Society.

BACKGROUND: The effect of axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) after sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in patients with clinically node-negative patients in preoperative evaluations on overall survival (OS) is uncertain. The study aimed to evaluate the difference of survival between node-positive patients who underwent SLNB alone and those who received ALND after SLNB using the Korean Breast Cancer Society registry. METHODS: We enrolled 2,581 patients who met the eligibility criteria. All enrolled patients had T1 or T2 breast cancer, and received mastectomy or breast-conserving treatment followed by documented adjuvant systemic therapy. RESULTS: There were 197 patients with SLNB alone and 2,384 patients with ALND after SLNB. Smaller tumor size, lower number of nodal metastasis, and higher proportion of breast-conserving surgery were found in patients with SLNB alone than in those with ALND after SLNB. There was no significant difference in OS between the two groups by the log-rank test. ALND after SLNB showed no significant improvement in OS in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: ALND in patients with sentinel metastasis who have T1 or T2 breast cancer receiving adjuvant systemic therapy may not have improved OS.

Incidence and risk factors of breast cancer-related lymphedema in Korea: a nationwide retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is a secondary lymphedema that occurs after breast cancer related treatments. BCRL develops from damage or dysfunction of the normally functioning lymphatic system due to surgery, radiation therapy, and rarely due to cancer recurrence. This nationwide, retrospective study was aimed at investigating the incidence and risk factors of BCRL using the database of the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS). METHODS: Patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer who underwent breast surgery from 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2020, were recruited. The incidence was compared by four groups according to the operation type of breast cancer [breast conserving surgery (BCS) with sentinel lymph node biopsy (S), BCS with axillary lymph node dissection (A), total mastectomy (TM) with S, modified radical mastectomy (MRM)]. The incidence rates of lymphedema were calculated by the number of incident events by the total follow-up period. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to calculate the risk of incidence of lymphedema based on a patients' characteristics, breast cancer treatment, and comorbidities. RESULTS: The final cohort of operation subjects that satisfied the inclusion criteria was 34 676. BCRL occurred in 4242 patients (12.2%), and the median follow-up period was 695.4 days. The BCRL was diagnosed in the BCS with S (8.0%), BCS with A (23.5%), TM with S (10.7%), and MRM (28.5%) with an incidence of 40.8, 132.2, 55.8, and 171.8 per 1000 person-years, respectively. Young age, obesity, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, residence in metropolitan areas, and hyperlipidemia were identified as risk factors. CONCLUSION: In Korea, the incidence of BCRL was found to be 12.2%, with the highest risk observed among patients who underwent MRM. Therefore, surgical oncologists should meticulously assess the appropriate surgical approach and consider providing education to patients with risk factors for BCRL, aiming to ensure effective prevention strategies.

Adherence to the American Cancer Society guidelines on nutrition and physical activity for cancer survivors and biomarkers of inflammation among breast cancer survivors.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated whether adherence to the overall lifestyle recommendations in the American Cancer Society (ACS) guidelines on nutrition and physical activity for cancer survivors was associated with inflammation in breast cancer survivors. METHODS: The study included 409 women who had undergone breast cancer surgery at least 1 year before enrollment. A generalized linear model was used to estimate the least square means and 95% confidence intervals of plasma levels of inflammatory markers according to lifestyle factors defined in terms of adherence to the ACS guidelines. RESULTS: Higher overall adherence scores were associated with lower levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (p for trend=0.015) and higher levels of adiponectin (p for trend=0.009). Similar significant associations of hs-CRP (p for trend= 0.004) and adiponectin (p for trend=0.010) levels were observed with the score for the body mass index (BMI) component of the adherence score. A higher diet component score was associated with a higher adiponectin level (p for trend=0.020), but there was no significant association for the physical activity component score. CONCLUSIONS: The present study's findings suggest that maintaining a healthy lifestyle according to the ACS guidelines was associated with beneficial effects on inflammatory marker levels, especially hs-CRP and adiponectin, among breast cancer survivors. Among the 3 components of lifestyle guidelines, the BMI component exhibited the most similar tendency to the overall adherence score in relation to inflammatory indicators. Further prospective and intervention studies are needed to investigate longitudinal associations between lifestyle factors and inflammatory markers among breast cancer survivors.

Omission of Breast Surgery in Predicted Pathologic Complete Response after Neoadjuvant Systemic Therapy: A Multicenter, Single-Arm, Non-inferiority Trial.

PURPOSE: Advances in chemotherapeutic and targeted agents have increased pathologic complete response (pCR) rates after neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST). Vacuum-assisted biopsy (VAB) has been suggested to accurately evaluate pCR. This study aims to confirm the non-inferiority of the 5-year disease-free survival of patients who omitted breast surgery when predicted to have a pCR based on breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and VAB after NST, compared with patients with a pCR who had undergone breast surgery in previous studies. METHODS: The Omission of breast surgery for PredicTed pCR patients wIth MRI and vacuum-assisted bIopsy in breaST cancer after neoadjuvant systemic therapy (OPTIMIST) trial is a prospective, multicenter, single-arm, non-inferiority study enrolling in 17 tertiary care hospitals in the Republic of Korea. Eligible patients must have a clip marker placed in the tumor and meet the MRI criteria suggesting complete clinical response (post-NST MRI size ≤ 1 cm and lesion-to-background signal enhancement ratio ≤ 1.6) after NST. Patients will undergo VAB, and breast surgery will be omitted for those with no residual tumor. Axillary surgery can also be omitted if the patient was clinically node-negative before and after NST and met the stringent criteria of MRI size ≤ 0.5 cm. Survival and efficacy outcomes are evaluated over five years. DISCUSSION: This study seeks to establish evidence for the safe omission of breast surgery in exceptional responders to NST while minimizing patient burden. The trial will address concerns about potential undertreatment due to false-negative results and recurrence as well as improved patient-reported quality of life issues from the omission of surgery. Successful completion of this trial may reshape clinical practice for certain breast cancer subtypes and lead to a safe and less invasive approach for selected patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05505357. Registered on August 17, 2022. Clinical Research Information Service Identifier: KCT0007638. Registered on July 25, 2022.

Expression of nerve growth factor and heme oxygenase-1 predict poor survival of breast carcinoma patients.

BACKGROUND: Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a neurotrophin and has been suggested to induce heme oxygenase-1 (HO1) expression. Although the role of HO1 in tumorigenesis remains controversial, recent evidence suggests NGF and HO1 as tumor-progressing factors. However, the correlative role of NGF and HO1 and their prognostic impact in breast carcinoma is unknown. METHODS: We investigated the expression and prognostic significance of the expression of NGF and HO1 in 145 cases of breast carcinoma. RESULTS: Immunohistochemical expression of NGF and HO1 was observed in 31% and 49% of breast carcinoma, respectively. The expression of NGF and HO1 significantly associated with each other, and both have a significant association with histologic grade, HER2 expression, and latent distant metastasis. The expression of NGF and HO1 predicted shorter overall survival of breast carcinoma by univariate and multivariate analysis. NGF expression was an independent prognostic indicator for relapse-free survival by multivariate analysis. The combined expression pattern of NGF and HO1 was also an independent prognostic indicator of overall survival and relapse-free survival. The patients with tumors expressing NGF had the shortest survival and the patients with tumor, which did not express NGF or HO1 showed the longest survival time. CONCLUSIONS: This study has demonstrated that individual expression of NGF or HO1, and the combined NGF/HO1 expression pattern could be prognostic indicators for breast carcinoma patients.

The prognosis of NX stage in patients with pT1 papillary thyroid cancer who underwent lobectomy.

Lymph node (LN) metastasis is known to impact the prognosis of patients with well-differentiated thyroid cancer. Herein, we aimed to determine the effect of NX stage on the prognosis of patients with papillary thyroid cancer who underwent thyroid lobectomy. We initially selected 1257 patients who underwent thyroid cancer surgery from 2012 to 2015. Of the 1257 patients, we included 556 in the analysis, excluding patients diagnosed with other types of thyroid cancer, those who underwent total or completion thyroidectomy, and those diagnosed with LN metastasis prior to surgery. The median follow-up time was 61.8 months (range: 12.3-108.9 months). After dividing the patients into N0, N1, and NX stage groups, we performed univariate and multivariate analyses. The 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) was analyzed using R version 3.2.5. The mean patient age was 45.0 ± 10.9 years. Of the 556 patients, 336 patients (60.4%) were diagnosed with N0 stage, 134 (24.1%) were N1 stage, and 86 (15.5%) were NX stage. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify prognostic factors for RFS. Considering gender, age, tumor size, surgery types, extrathyroidal extension, multifocality, and recurrence, no statistically significant differences were noted between the 3 groups. The 5-year RFS rates were 98.8%, 95.5%, and 97.6% for N0, N1, and NX groups, respectively, without significant differences between the 3 groups (P = .56). Considering the T1b stage, the 5-year RFS rates were 100%, 93.1%, and 93.7% in the N0, N1, and NX groups, respectively, with a statistically significant difference between the 3 groups (P = .018). Accordingly, the NX status cannot be deemed a prognostic factor for RFS in patients with papillary thyroid cancer who underwent thyroid lobectomy. However, the benefit of prophylactic central-LN dissection should be considered in patients with well-differentiated thyroid cancer diagnosed with T1b stage.

Associations of body mass index and weight change with circulating levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, proinflammatory cytokines, and adiponectin among breast cancer survivors.

AIM: This study examined the associations of body mass index (BMI) and weight change with inflammatory markers among breast cancer survivors in Korea. METHODS: A total of 495 women were included who had been diagnosed with primary breast cancer and survived for at least 6 months since the surgery. Information on the body weight and height of the participants was collected both at the study enrollment and diagnosis. The plasma levels of inflammatory markers were measured, including high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-α, and adiponectin. A summary z-score was calculated by summing up the z-scores of each biomarker. The least-square means and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a generalized linear model and odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs for the elevated levels of inflammatory markers with a multivariate logistic regression model. RESULTS: Participants with a BMI ≥27.5 kg/m2 at the study enrollment and at diagnosis were significantly associated with elevated summary z-scores compared to those with a BMI < 23 kg/m2 ; the ORs (95% CIs) were 5.42 (2.15-13.71) for current BMI and 3.66 (1.68-7.98) for BMI at diagnosis, respectively. Additionally, a weight loss > 5% since diagnosis was associated with a lower prevalence of high summary z-scores; the OR (95% CI) was .20 (.08-.52) compared to a stable weight. CONCLUSIONS: A high BMI at diagnosis and current BMI with a greater degree were associated with unfavorable levels of inflammatory markers among breast cancer survivors. Additionally, weight loss since diagnosis was inversely associated with these markers.