Exploration of Point-of-Care Ultrasonography for Silicone Breast Implant Rupture Detection and Classification.

Background and Objectives: The surge in breast-related surgeries in Korea underscores the critical need for an accurate early diagnosis of silicone breast implant-related issues. Complications such as BIA-ALCL and BIA-SCC add complexity to breast health concerns, necessitating vigilant monitoring. Despite advancements, discrepancies persist between ultrasonographic and pathologic classifications of silicone implant ruptures, highlighting a need for enhanced diagnostic tools. This study explores the reliability of ultrasonography in diagnosing silicone breast implant ruptures and determining the extent of silicone migration, specifically with a focus on guiding potential capsulectomy based on pathology. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive review of medical records encompassing 5557 breast implants across 2790 patients who underwent ultrasound-assisted examinations was conducted. Among the screened implants, 8.9% (249 cases) were diagnosed with silicone breast implant rupture through ultrasonography. Subsequently, 89 women underwent revisional surgery, involving capsulectomy. The pathological analysis of 111 periprosthetic capsules from these cases aimed to assess the extent of silicone migration, and the findings were juxtaposed with the existing ultrasonographic rupture classification. Results: The diagnostic agreement between preoperative sonography and postoperative findings reached 100% for silicone breast implant ruptures. All eighty prosthetic capsules exhibiting a snowstorm sign in ultrasonography demonstrated silicone migration to capsules upon pathologic findings. Conclusions: High-resolution ultrasonography emerged as a valuable and reliable imaging modality for diagnosing silicone breast implant ruptures, with a notable ability to ascertain the extent of free silicone migration to capsules. This diagnostic precision is pivotal in informing decisions about potential capsulectomy during revisional surgery. The study advocates for an update to the current binary ultrasonographic classification, suggesting a more nuanced categorization into three types (subcapsular, intracapsular, and extracapsular) based on pathology.

Breast Pseudoaneurysm in a Woman after Core Biopsy: Intravascular Glue Embolization.

Core needle biopsy of breast masses is a common procedure for tissue diagnosis of breast lesions. The incidence of complications is low, with pseudoaneurysm (PA) after core biopsy has been described in the literature, and the subsequent need for surgical management. Ultrasonography is the most common modality used for not only diagnosis but also treatment of a PA. Color Doppler images show a heterogeneous echoic lesion with whirling flow inside of the lesion. We describe a patient whose breast PA that developed after core needle biopsy was successfully treated with sonographically-guided intravascular glue embolization.

Clinical significance of HER2-low expression in early breast cancer: a nationwide study from the Korean Breast Cancer Society.

BACKGROUND: There is an increasing interest in HER2-low breast cancer with promising data from clinical trials using novel anti-HER2 antibody-drug conjugates. We explored the differences in clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcomes between HER2-low and HER2-IHC 0 breast cancer. METHODS: Using nationwide data from the Korean Breast Cancer Registry between 2006 and 2011, 30,491 patients with stages I to III breast cancer were included in the analysis: 9,506 (31.2%) in the HER2-low group and 20,985 (68.8%) in the HER2-IHC 0 group. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards regression survival analysis were used to compare breast cancer-specific survival between the two groups. RESULTS: HER2-low breast cancer was more frequent in patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer than in those with triple-negative breast cancer. In patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, HER2-low breast cancer was associated with fewer T4 tumors, higher histological grade, and a negative lymphatic invasion. In patients with triple-negative breast cancer, HER2-low breast cancer was associated with a high lymph node ratio and positive lymphatic invasion. HER2-low breast cancer was significantly associated with a lower Ki-67 labeling index. No significant difference was observed in overall survival between the two groups. HER2-low breast cancer showed significantly better breast cancer-specific survival than HER2-IHC 0 breast cancer, regardless of the hormone receptor status. In multivariate analysis, the impact of low HER2 expression on breast cancer-specific survival was significant only in triple-negative breast cancer (HRs, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.49-0.93; P = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the biology and clinical impact of low HER2 expression can differ according to the hormone receptor status and support the need for further investigation on the understanding of the biology of HER2-low breast cancer.

Comparison of Diagnostic Performance and Confidence between Contrast-Enhanced Computed Tomography Scan and Non-Contrast-Enhanced Computed Tomography Plus Abdomen Ultrasound for Hepatic Metastasis in Patients with Breast Cancer.

Background: The purpose of this study was to compare the performance between noncontrast-enhanced computed tomography (NECT) plus abdominal ultrasound (US) (NECT + US) with contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) for the detection of hepatic metastasis in breast cancer patient with postsurgical follow-up. Methods: A total of 1470 patients without already diagnosed hepatic metastasis were included. All patients underwent US and multiphase CECT including the NECT. Independent reviewers analyzed images obtained in four settings, namely, abdominal US, NECT, NECT + US, and CECT and recorded liver metastases using a 5-grade scale of diagnostic confidence. Sensitivity, specificity (diagnostic performance), and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC, diagnostic confidence) were calculated. Interoperator agreement was calculated using the kappa test. Results: Reference standards revealed no metastases in 1108/1470 patients, and metastasis was detected in 362/1470 patients. Abdominal US (P < 0.01) and NECT (P = 0.01) significantly differed from CECT, but NECT + US did not significantly differ from CECT in terms of sensitivity (P = 0.09), specificity (P = 0.5), and AUC (P = 0.43). After an additional review of abdominal US, readers changed the diagnostic confidence scores of 106 metastatic lesions diagnosed using NECT. Interobserver agreements were good or very good in all four settings. Additional review of abdominal US with NECT allowed a change in the therapeutic plan of 108 patients. Conclusion: Abdominal US + NECT showed better diagnostic performance for the detection of hepatic metastases than did NECT alone; its diagnostic performance and confidence were similar to those of CECT.

Clinical significance of HER2 status in T1bN0 breast cancer: a nationwide study from the Korean Breast Cancer Society.

PURPOSE: The prognosis of patients with node-negative T1b tumors according to human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status is not known. This group of patients has not been studied in the available randomized trials. The objective of this study was to evaluate the survival of patients in a monoethnic group diagnosed with T1b lymph node-negative breast cancer depending on HER2 status. METHODS: We analyzed 3110 patients with T1bN0M0 breast cancer whose data were deposited into the Korean Breast Cancer Society Registry database between 2000 and 2009. Overall survival (OS) and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) were compared according to HER2 status. RESULTS: Among all patients, 494 (15.9%) had HER2-positive breast cancer. At a mean follow-up of 93 months, 108 deaths and 86 breast cancer-specific deaths were noted among all patients. There was no significant difference in OS between the HER2-negative and HER2-positive groups (p = 0.103). The same result was observed for BCSS. However, in the subgroup of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive women, HER2-negative patients had a better BCSS prognosis than HER2-positive patients (p = 0.025). Multivariate analysis also indicated a significant difference in BCSS in the ER-positive subgroup (HR 2.60; 95% CI 1.15-5.87; p = 0.021). CONCLUSION: This study analyzed a large nationwide and monoethnic cohort and found a significant difference only in BCSS in the ER-positive subgroup according to HER2 status. Anti-HER2 therapy may be considered in HER2-positive and ER-positive patients with small, node-negative breast cancer.

Response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy based on pathologic complete response in very young patients with ER-positive breast cancer: a large, multicenter, observational study.

BACKGROUND: In estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer (BC), young age is associated with poor prognosis. While very young patients respond better to chemotherapy, chemotherapy is less effective in ER-positive tumors than in ER-negative tumors. The authors tried to evaluate chemotherapy response of very young patients with ER-positive BC by pathologic complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy excluding the effect of endocrine treatment to the extent possible. METHODS: We collected individual patient data from 1992 to 2013 from the Korean Breast Cancer Society (KBCS). Total 1048 ER-positive and 797 ER-negative patients aged < 50 years who had been treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy were included for analysis. We compared pCR rate between patients aged < 35 years with ER-positive tumors and the other groups. RESULTS: The proportion of patients aged < 35 years was 14.0% of patients with ER-positive BC in this cohort of under 50 years old, and 16.8% of patients with ER-negative BC in this cohort of under 50 years old. Although most characteristics of tumors according to age were comparable, tumors with high Ki-67 expression were more common in patients aged < 35 years than in patients aged 35-49 years in both ER-positive and -negative group (P = 0.001). Breast conservation rates were not significantly different according to age (44.2% vs. 46.8% in ER-positive group, 55.2% vs. 48.0% in ER-negative group). pCR rate was not different according to age in ER-positive group (P = 0.71) but significantly better in patients aged < 35 years in ER-negative group (P = 0.009). After adjusting for confounding variables, young patients maintained the higher probability of pCR than older patients in ER-negative tumors. However, pCR rate did not differ according to age in ER-positive tumors. In multivariate analysis, young age (< 35 years) was correlated with poor overall survival (P = 0.003, HR = 1.98) and there was only one event in a few patients achieved pCR in ER-positive group. CONCLUSIONS: Chemotherapy response based on pCR was not better in young patients (< 35 years) with ER-positive BC than in older premenopausal patients with non-metastatic ER-positive BC. Young age cannot be a predictive factor of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in ER-positive BC. Different biological characteristics such as high proliferative index should be considered. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Retrospectively registered.

The Emerging Crisis of Stakeholders in Implant-based Augmentation Mammaplasty in Korea.

BACKGROUND: Korea is no longer safe from the risk of breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL); the first reported case was a Korean woman in her 40s who had a 7-year-history of receiving an implant-based augmentation mammaplasty using a textured implant. We conducted this study to discuss the emerging crisis of stakeholders in implant-based augmentation mammaplasty and to propose a multi-disciplinary approach to early detection of its complications. METHODS: We analyzed medical examination data that was collected from patients who visited us between August 12 and September 27, 2019. We evaluated a total of 114 women (n = 114) in the current study. They were evaluated for whether they were in healthy condition. Moreover, their baseline characteristics were also examined; these included age, gender, height (cm), weight (kg), duration since surgery (years), possession of a breast implant card, the site of surgical incision, side of symptoms and reasons for outpatient visit. Furthermore, the patients were also evaluated for their subjective awareness of the manufacturer, surface and shape of the breast implant. Potential complications include malrotation, folding, seroma, capsule thickening, upside-down rotation, rupture, capsule mass and breast mass. RESULTS: A majority of the patients had a past history of receiving textured implants. The corresponding percentage was 78.95% (90/114) and 85.09% (97/114) based on their subjective awareness of a breast implant and sonographic findings, respectively. That is, it was slightly increased with the use of a breast ultrasound. CONCLUSION: Here, we propose the following approaches. First, patient data should be prospectively collected. By tracking outcomes and complications of an implant-based augmentation mammaplasty, both high-quality care and patient safety can be ensured. Second, stakeholders in implant-based augmentation mammaplasty should collaborate with customers and regulatory authorities. Third, surgeons should consider applying imaging modalities for early detection of postoperative complications.

Inframammary Fold Incision Can Reduce Skin Flap Necrosis in Immediate Breast Reconstruction With Implant and Conjoined Fascial Flap.

BACKGROUND: Immediate breast reconstruction with implant (IBRI) can produce good aesthetic results after nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM). Various surgical incisions can be used for NSM. The purpose of this study is to compare outcomes of using an IBRI with dual-coverage fascial flap after NSM with an inframammary fold (IMF) or a radial (Rd) incision. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 88 women who underwent IBRI with dual-coverage fascial flap from March 2015 to June 2018. Inframammary fold incision was used in 19 patients (22 breasts) and Rd incision in 69 patients (75 breasts). In the dual-coverage method, acellular dermal matrix covered the inferomedial quadrant of the breast, and conjoined fascial flap covered the remaining inferolateral quadrant. Patient-reported satisfaction was assessed using the Breast-Q questionnaire, and plastic surgeons assessed aesthetic postoperative scores. RESULTS: Complications and reoperation rates of 2 incisions were as follows: skin flap necrosis rate showed significant difference between 2 groups (IMF, 0.0% [0/22]; Rd, 16.0% [12/75]; P < 0.05). The other complication rates, hematoma, seroma, infection, capsular contracture, and total reoperations showed no significant difference. Postoperative Breast-Q scores were higher in the IMF group (331.9 ± 10.1) than in the Rd group (311.4 ± 11.0; P < 0.05), indicating higher satisfactory rate in the IMF group than in the Rd group. Surgeon-reported scores for breast symmetry, contour, and scar appearance were also higher in the IMF group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Immediate breast reconstruction with implant with dual-coverage fascial flap after NSM with IMF incision was associated with a lower rate of postoperative skin flap necrosis and improved patient satisfaction, compared with Rd incision. Inframammary fold incisions were associated with improved scar and breast appearance.

Tamoxifen therapy improves overall survival in luminal A subtype of ductal carcinoma in situ: a study based on nationwide Korean Breast Cancer Registry database.

PURPOSE: To determine the prognostic role of tamoxifen therapy for patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) according to molecular subtypes. METHODS: Data of 14,944 patients with DCIS were analyzed. Molecular subtypes were classified into four categories based on expression of estrogen receptor (ER)/progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Kaplan-Meier estimator was used for overall survival analysis while Cox proportional hazards model was used for univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Luminal A subtype (ER/PR+, HER2-) showed higher (P = .009) survival rate than triple-negative (TN) subtype. Tamoxifen therapy group showed superior (P < .001) survival than no-tamoxifen therapy group. It had survival benefit only for luminal A subtype (P = .001). Tamoxifen therapy resulted in higher survival rate in subgroups with positive ER (P = .006), positive PR (P = .009), and negative HER2 (P < .001). In luminal A subtype, tamoxifen therapy showed lower hazard ratio (HR) compared to no-tamoxifen therapy (HR, 0.420; 95% CI 0.250-0.705; P = .001). Tamoxifen therapy was a significant independent factor by multivariate analysis (HR, 0.538; 95% CI 0.306-0.946; P = .031) as well as univariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Tamoxifen therapy group showed superior prognosis than the no-tamoxifen therapy group. Its prognostic influence was only effective for luminal A subtype. Patients with luminal A subtype showed higher survival rate than those with TN subtype. Active tamoxifen therapy is recommended for DCIS patients with luminal A subtype, and routine tests for ER, PR, and HER2 should be considered for DCIS.

Identifying long-term survivors among metastatic breast cancer patients undergoing primary tumor surgery.

PURPOSE: The prognostic role of primary tumor surgery in women with metastatic breast cancer at diagnosis is contentious. A subset of patients who will benefit from aggressive local treatment is needed to be identified. Using a nationwide database, we developed and validated a predictive model to identify long-term survivors among patients who had undergone primary tumor surgery. METHODS: A total of 150,043 patients were enrolled in the Korean Breast Cancer Registry between January 1990 and December 2014. Of these, 2332 (1.6%) presented with distant metastasis at diagnosis. Using Cox proportional hazards regression, we developed and validated a model that predicts survival in patients who undergo primary tumor surgery, based on the clinicopathological features of the primary tumor. RESULTS: A total of 2232 metastatic breast cancer patients were reviewed. Of these, 1541 (69.0%) patients had undergone primary tumor surgery. The 3-year survival rate was 62.6% in this subgroup. Among these patients, advanced T-stage, high-grade tumor, lymphovascular invasion, negative estrogen receptor status, high Ki-67 expression, and abnormal CA 15-3 and alkaline phosphatase levels were associated with poor survival. A prediction model was developed based on these factors, which successfully identified patients with remarkable survival (score 0-3, 3-year survival rate 87.3%). The clinical significance of the model was also validated with an independent dataset. CONCLUSIONS: We have developed a predictive model to identify long-term survivors among women who undergo primary tumor surgery. This model will provide guidance to patients and physicians when considering surgery as a treatment modality for metastatic breast cancer.

Prognostic implication of the tumor location according to molecular subtypes in axillary lymph node-positive invasive ductal cancer in a Korean population.

Previous studies have not considered the axillary lymph node status when investigating the prognostic role of tumor location according to each molecular subtype. The present study aimed to investigate the prognostic implication of tumor location according to each molecular subtype in Korean invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) patients with axillary lymph node metastasis. Data from 7856 Korean IDC women with axillary lymph node metastasis were retrospectively analyzed. According to tumor location, patients were divided into the following groups: upper-outer quadrant, lower-outer quadrant, upper-inner quadrant, lower-inner quadrant (LIQ), and central group. Overall survival (OS) and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) were evaluated according to tumor location and molecular subtype. A subgroup analysis based on tumor size categorization was also performed. The patients' mean age was 47.97 ± 9.64 years, and the median follow-up time was 90 months. The LIQ group showed significantly worse prognosis in OS and BCSS (76.4 and 83.3 %, respectively) compared with the other groups, which was only significant in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) overexpression and triple-negative (TN) subtypes. In the subgroup analysis according to tumor size, the LIQ group showed a significantly worse prognosis in OS and BCSS compared with the other groups, in HER2 and TN subtypes, and only in patients with more than T2 stage. In Korean IDC patients with axillary lymph node metastasis, LIQ tumor location was associated with poor prognosis among those with HER2 and TN molecular subtypes and especially in those with more than T2 stage.

A comparison of the clinical outcomes of patients with invasive lobular carcinoma and invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast according to molecular subtype in a Korean population.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics and the survival outcomes of invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) patients compared to invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) patients according to their molecular subtype. METHODS: We compared the clinicopathological characteristics, breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) and overall survival (OS) between patients with IDC (n = 14,547) and ILC (n = 528). RESULTS: The ILC presented with a larger tumor size, more advanced cancer stage, increased rate of hormonal receptor positivity, human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) negativity and mastectomy than the IDC. The ILC patients more frequently presented with the luminal A subtype, whereas the IDC patients more frequently presented with the luminal B, HER2-overexpression, or triple negative subtype. The BCSS and OS were not significantly different between the IDC and ILC for each molecular subtype. CONCLUSIONS: Similar to IDC patients, molecular subtype should be considered when determining the prognosis and treatment regimen for ILC patients.

Impact of local surgical treatment on survival in young women with T1 breast cancer: long-term results of a population-based cohort.

The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of the type of local surgical treatment on survival in young women aged less than 40 years with T1 breast cancer. We analyzed data from 3,512 patients aged ≤40 years old who were diagnosed with T1 breast cancer from the Korean Breast Cancer Registry database between January 1988 and December 2006 and underwent either breast-conserving therapy (BCT) or mastectomy. The overall survival (OS) and breast-cancer-specific survival (BCSS) were compared between BCT and mastectomy. Of the 3,512 patients analyzed, 1,951 (55.6 %) underwent BCT, and 1,561 (44.4 %) underwent mastectomy. The median follow-up period was 111.0 (79.0-131.5) months. Overall, the 10-year OS rates for BCT and mastectomy were 95 and 92.1 %, respectively (p = 00004), and the 10-year BCSS rates for BCT and mastectomy patients were 96.9 and 94.9 %, respectively (p = 0.12). In node-negative patients, no significant difference was observed in either the OS (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.072; 95 % CI, 0.750-1.5332, p = 0.704) or BCSS (adjusted HR 0.988; 95 % CI, 0.620-1.574, p = 0.960) rate between the BCT and mastectomy groups. In node-positive patients, no significant difference was observed in the OS (adjusted HR 1.634; 95 % CI, 0.982-2.272, p = 0.59) and BCSS (adjusted HR 1.410; 95 % CI, 0.755-2.633, p = 0.281) rates between the BCT and mastectomy groups. In this large, population-based analysis of young women with T1 breast cancer, the OS and BCSS were not different between BCT and mastectomy.

The value of chest CT for prediction of breast tumor size: comparison with pathology measurement.

BACKGROUND: Little information is available on the use of chest computed tomography (CT) to predict breast tumor size in breast cancer, despite the fact that chest CT examinations are being increasingly used. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the value of chest CT for predicting breast tumor size using pathology measurements as reference standards. METHODS: Tumor sizes (defined as greatest diameter) were retrospectively measured on the preoperative chest CT images of 285 patients with surgically proven unifocal, invasive breast carcinoma. Greatest tumor diameters as determined by chest CT and pathologic examinations were compared by linear regression and Spearman's rho correlation analysis. Concordance between CT and pathology results was defined as a diameter difference of <5 mm. Subgroup analyses were also performed with respect to tumor size (<20 mm or ≥20 mm) and histological subtype (invasive ductal carcinoma(IDC) or non-IDC). RESULTS: CT and pathology measured diameters were found to be linearly related (size at pathology = 1.086 × CT determined tumor size - 1.141; Spearman's rho correlation coefficient = 0.84, P<0.001). Most tumors (n = 228, 80.0%) were concordant by chest CT and pathology, but 36 tumors (12.7%) were underestimated by CT (average underestimation, 11 mm; range, 6-36 mm) and 21 tumors (7.4%) were overestimated (average overestimation by CT, 10 mm; range, 6-19 mm). The concordance rate between the two sets of measurements was greater for tumor of <20 mm and for IDC (P<0.001 and P = 0.011, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Tumor size by chest CT is well correlated with pathology determined tumor size in breast cancer patients, and the diameters of the majority of tumors by chest CT and pathology differed by <5 mm. In addition, the concordance rate was higher for breast tumors of <20 mm and for tumors of the IDC histologic subtype.

Predictive biological factors for late survival in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer.

The human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) enriched subtype of breast cancer is associated with early recurrence, mostly within 5 years. However, anti-HER2 therapies have improved outcomes and their benefits persist in the long term. This study aimed to determine predictive factors for late survival in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer. We analyzed 20,672 patients with HER2-positive stage I-III breast cancer. The patients were divided into two groups based on a follow-up period of 60 months. The multivariate analysis of factors associated with poor overall survival included old age, advanced pathologic tumor size stage (pT), advanced pathologic regional lymph node stage (pN), high histological grade, presence of lymphatic and vascular invasion, and HR-negative status within 60 months. In the breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) of the > 60 months follow-up group, the hazard ratios (HRa) based on pN-negative were 3.038, 3.722, and 4.877 in pN1 (p = 0.001), pN2 (p < 0.001), and pN3 (p < 0.001), respectively. Only pT4 level was statistically significant in the pT group (HRa, 4.528; p = 0.007). Age (HRa, 1.045, p < 0.001) and hormone receptor-positive status (HRa, 1.705, p = 0.022) were also associated to worse BCSS. Although lymphatic invasion was not significantly associated with BCSS, there was a tendency toward a relationship (p = 0.079) with worse BCSS. In HER2-positive breast cancer patients, node status had a more significant relationship with long-term prognosis than T stage. Patients with HER2-positive breast cancer who have T4 or node-positive should be considered for clinical observation and education beyond 5 years.

Breast sonographic elastography using an advanced breast tissue-specific imaging preset: initial clinical results.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the interpretation criteria, such as the size ratio, stain ratio, and elasticity score, and to assess the diagnostic performance of sonographic elastography by using an advanced breast tissue-specific imaging preset compared with that of conventional sonography for the differentiation of benign and malignant breast masses. METHODS: Conventional sonography and sonographic elastography with the tissue-specific imaging preset were performed in 104 patients (age range, 17-76 years; mean age, 47.7 years) with 110 breast lesions (67 benign and 43 malignant; mean size, 1.69 cm). The data from the interpretation criteria of sonographic elastography were obtained. The pathologic results from surgical excision or vacuum-assisted removal were used as a reference standard. RESULTS: The values for the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve were 0.959 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.902-0.987) for conventional sonography and 0.901 (95% CI, 0.829-0.949), 0.796 (95% CI, 0.708-0.866), and 0.787 (95% CI, 0.699-0.859) for the strain ratio, size ratio, and elasticity score, respectively. When a strain ratio cutoff point of 4.215 was used, the sensitivity and specificity were 86.0% and 85.1%. With a best cutoff point for conventional sonography between Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System categories 4A and 4B, the sensitivity and specificity were 93.0% and 83.6%. CONCLUSIONS: The strain ratio showed the best diagnostic performance among the interpretation criteria for sonographic elastography with the tissue-specific imaging preset. The diagnostic performance was slightly higher for Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System categories than for the strain ratio. However, there was no statistical significance (P = .052).

Subsequent pregnancy and long-term safety after breast cancer: a retrospective analysis of Korean health insurance data.

PURPOSE: Long-term safety of pregnancy after breast cancer (BC) remains controversial, especially with respect to BC biological subtypes. METHODS: We analyzed a population-based retrospective cohort with BC from 2002 to 2017. Patient-level 1:1 matching was performed between pregnant and nonpregnant women. The study population was categorized into 6 biological subtypes based on the combination of prescribed therapies. Subanalyses were performed considering the time to pregnancy after BC diagnosis, systemic therapy, and pregnancy outcomes. RESULTS: We identified 544 matched women with BC, who were assigned to the pregnant (cases, n = 272) or nonpregnant group (controls, n = 272) of similar characteristics, adjusted for guaranteed bias. These patients were followed up for 10 years, or disease and mortality occurrence after the diagnosis of BC. Survival estimates were calculated. The actuarial 10-year overall survival (OS) rates were 97.4% and 91.9% for pregnant and nonpregnant patients, respectively. The pregnant group showed significantly better OS (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.12-0.68; P = 0.005) and did not have a significantly inferior disease-free survival (aHR, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.61-1.99; P = 0.760). CONCLUSION: Consistent outcomes were observed in every subgroup analysis. Our observational data provides reassuring evidence on the long-term safety of pregnancy in young patients with BC regardless of the BC biological subtype.

The efficacy of oxidized regenerated cellulose (SurgiGuard®) in breast cancer patients who undergo total mastectomy with node surgery: A prospective randomized study in 94 patients.

BACKGROUND: Seromas frequently develop in patients who undergo total mastectomy with node surgery. We aimed to prospectively explore whether use of oxidized regenerated cellulose (ORC, SurgiGuard®) affects seroma formation after total mastectomy with node surgery (sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) or axillary lymph node dissection (ALND)). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety four breast cancer patients were enrolled in the study who underwent total mastectomy with ALND or SLNB. The patients were randomized into two groups, one treated with ORC plus closed suction drainage and the other with closed suction drainage alone. RESULTS: Mean drainage volume was slightly lower in the ORC group on postoperative day 1 (123 ± 54 vs 143 ± 104 ml), but was slightly higher at all other time points; however, these differences were not significant. Mean total drainage volume in patients treated with ORC plus drainage did not differ from that of patients treated with drainage alone (1134 ± 507 ml vs 1033 ± 643 ml, P = 0.486). CONCLUSIONS: Use of ORC (SurgiGuard®) did not significantly alter the risk of seroma formation.

Relationship Between Breast and Axillary Pathologic Complete Response According to Clinical Nodal Stage: A Nationwide Study From Korean Breast Cancer Society.

PURPOSE: We evaluated the relationship between breast pathologic complete response (BpCR) and axillary pathologic complete response (ApCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) according to nodal burden at presentation. As the indications for NACT have expanded, clinicians have started clinical trials for the omission of surgery from the treatment plan in patients with excellent responses to NACT. However, the appropriate indications for axillary surgery omission after excellent NACT response remain unclear. METHODS: Data were collected from patients in the Korean Breast Cancer Society Registry who underwent NACT followed by surgery between 2010 and 2020. We analyzed pathologic axillary nodal positivity after NACT according to BpCR stratified by tumor subtype in patients with cT1-3/N0-2 disease at diagnosis. RESULTS: A total of 6,597 patients were identified. Regarding cT stage, 528 (9.5%), 3,778 (67.8%), and 1,268 (22.7%) patients had cT1, cT2, and cT3 disease, respectively. Regarding cN stage, 1,539 (27.7%), 2,976 (53.6%), and 1,036 (18.7%) patients had cN0, cN1, and cN2 disease, respectively. BpCR occurred in 21.6% (n = 1,427) of patients, while ApCR and pathologic complete response (ypCR) occurred in 59.7% (n = 3,929) and ypCR 19.4% (n = 1,285) of patients, respectively. The distribution of biologic subtypes included 2,329 (39.3%) patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative disease, 1,122 (18.9%) with HR-positive/HER2-positive disease, 405 (6.8%) with HR-negative/HER2-positive disease, and 2,072 (35.0%) with triple-negative breast cancer . Among the patients with BpCR, 89.6% (1,122/1,252) had ApCR. Of those with cN0 disease, most (99.0%, 301/304) showed ApCR. Among patients with cN1-2 disease, 86.6% (821/948) had ApCR. CONCLUSION: BpCR was highly correlated with ApCR after NACT. In patients with cN0 and BpCR, the risk of missing axillary nodal metastasis was low after NACT. Further research on axillary surgery omission in patients with cN0 disease is needed.