BRCA testing and management of BRCA-mutated early-stage breast cancer: a comprehensive statement by expert group from GCC region.

BReast CAncer (BRCA)1 and BRCA2 gene pathogenic variants account for most hereditary breast cancers (BC). Identification of BRCA mutations can significantly influence both prognosis and treatment outcomes. Furthermore, it enables the identification of individuals who are at heightened risk of developing BC due to inherited genetic mutations. Many developing countries rely on western guidelines for BRCA testing and BC management; however, there exist wide disparities in the prevalence of risk factors, availability of medical resources, and practice patterns. Guidelines tailored to specific regions can help mitigate healthcare variations, promote consistency in treatment, and aid healthcare providers in identifying effective therapies for improving patient outcomes. Hence, oncologists from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) congregated virtually in March 2023 and reviewed existing data on the epidemiology of BC, BRCA mutations, practices and challenges associated with BRCA testing and management of BRCA mutated early-stage BC in the GCC region. They also provided insights on the real-world diagnostic and treatment practices and challenges in the GCC region in the BRCA-mutated early-stage BC domain and suggested some variations to international guidelines to aid their uptake in this region.

18F-PSMA 1007 Uptake in a Man With Metastatic Breast Cancer.

A 72-year-old man, who is known with a case of metastatic carcinoma of the breast, was referred for F-PMSA 1007 PET/CT with clinical suspicion of synchronous prostate cancer. F-PSMA 1007 PET/CT scan detected no abnormal tracer concentrating lesion in the prostate gland; however, abnormal tracer concentration was noted in soft tissue lesions in left breast, metastatic lymph nodes, and skeletal lesions. Compared with F-FDG PET/CT, more bone lesions were detected on F-PSMA 1007 imaging. The findings of our case open the possibility of imaging metastatic breast cancer with F-PSMA 1007 in men.

Analysis of neoadjuvant therapies in breast cancer with respect to pathological complete response, disease-free survival and overall survival: 15 years follow-up data from Kuwait.

AIMS: Optimizing neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimens is essential for achieving maximal pathological complete response (pCR) in patients with breast cancer. pCR is usually considered as a surrogate marker for survival. The aim of this study was to analyze pCR with respect to various neoadjuvant regimens and its effect on survival. METHODS: This retrospective analysis included 377 patients with stages II and III breast cancer treated between 1998 and 2009 with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Neoadjuvant regimens were analyzed with respect to pCR, disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: The median age of our population was 50 years with the majority being premenopausal and locally advanced. The overall pCR rate was 13.7% with higher rates seen in patients receiving combination of anthracyclines and taxanes (14.2%). The practice of sandwiching surgery and chemotherapy was inferior to true neoadjuvant chemotherapy of eight cycles. Addition of trastuzumab to Her2 positive patients resulted in higher pCR rates (P = 0.006). Achievement of pCR with neoadjuvant chemotherapy resulted in significantly higher DFS and OS. CONCLUSION: pCR is associated with better survival in breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Initial anthracycline-based chemotherapy followed by non-cross-resistant taxane-based chemotherapy along with the addition of trastuzumab in Her2 positive patients might be the optimal neoadjuvant regimen in breast cancer patients.

Pathological responses and long-term outcome analysis after neoadjuvant chemotheraphy in breast cancer patients from Kuwait over a period of 15 years.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The attainment of pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been taken as a surrogate marker for disease-free survival and overall survival. This is however dependent on various other parameters such as stage, grade, and biologic markers. DESIGN AND SETTINGS: This is a retrospective study of 365 patients with histologically confirmed non-met.astatic breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy at the Kuwait Cancer Control Centre between 1998 and 2009. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 365 breast cancer patients who had received neoadjuvant chemotherapy from 1998-2009 were analyzed for the relationship of pCR with hormone status, Her2 status, histopathological subtype. Survival analysis was also conducted. RESULTS: Hormone receptor (HR) negative tumors had a higher pCR as against HR positive tumors, and the highest pCR in our analysis of pathological subtypes were seen in the HR+, Her2neu + and HR-, Her2neu + group. In our study, we could make out the paradoxes that well differentiated, and HR positive tumors had a better survival in spite of having lower pCR. The luminal A subtype also had a better overall survival than the triple negative subtype in spite of having lower pCR with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: Though the achievement of pCR retains its significance, it is more prognostic in HR negative tumors. The importance of HR receptor status, grade, and histopathological subtype in the long-term survival has been emphasized.