Elucidating the Role of MicroRNA-18a in Propelling a Hybrid Epithelial-Mesenchymal Phenotype and Driving Malignant Progression in ER-Negative Breast Cancer.

Epigenetic alterations that lead to differential expression of microRNAs (miRNAs/miR) are known to regulate tumour cell states, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the progression to metastasis in breast cancer. This study explores the key contribution of miRNA-18a in mediating a hybrid E/M cell state that is pivotal to the malignant transformation and tumour progression in the aggressive ER-negative subtype of breast cancer. The expression status and associated effects of miR-18a were evaluated in patient-derived breast tumour samples in combination with gene expression data from public datasets, and further validated in in vitro and in vivo breast cancer model systems. The clinical relevance of the study findings was corroborated against human breast tumour specimens (n = 446 patients). The down-regulated expression of miR-18a observed in ER-negative tumours was found to drive the enrichment of hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal (E/M) cells with luminal attributes, enhanced traits of migration, stemness, drug-resistance and immunosuppression. Further analysis of the miR-18a targets highlighted possible hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α)-mediated signalling in these tumours. This is a foremost report that validates the dual role of miR-18a in breast cancer that is subtype-specific based on hormone receptor expression. The study also features a novel association of low miR-18a levels and subsequent enrichment of hybrid E/M cells, increased migration and stemness in a subgroup of ER-negative tumours that may be attributed to HIF-1α mediated signalling. The results highlight the possibility of stratifying the ER-negative disease into clinically relevant groups by analysing miRNA signatures.

Differential role of glucocorticoid receptor based on its cell type specific expression on tumor cells and infiltrating lymphocytes.

BACKGROUND: The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is frequently expressed in breast cancer (BC), and its prognostic implications are contingent on estrogen receptor (ER) status. To address conflicting reports and explore therapeutic potential, a GR signature (GRsig) independent of ER status was developed. We also investigated cell type-specific GR protein expression in BC tumor epithelial cells and infiltrating lymphocytes. METHODS: GRsig was derived from Dexamethasone treated cell lines through a bioinformatic pipeline. Immunohistochemistry assessed GR protein expression. Associations between GRsig and tumor phenotypes (proliferation, cytolytic activity (CYT), immune cell distribution, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were explored in public datasets. Single-cell RNA sequencing data evaluated context-dependent GR roles, and a cell type-specific prognostic role was assessed in an independent BC cohort. RESULTS: High GRsig levels were associated with a favorable prognosis across BC subtypes. Tumor-specific high GRsig correlated with lower proliferation, increased CYT, and anti-tumorigenic immune cells. Single-cell data analysis revealed higher GRsig expression in immune cells, negatively correlating with EMT while a positive correlation was observed with EMT primarily in tumor and stromal cells. Univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated the robust and independent predictive capability of GRsig for favorable prognosis. GR protein expression on immune cells in triple-negative tumors indicated a favorable prognosis. CONCLUSION: This study underscores the cell type-specific role of GR, where its expression on tumor cells is associated with aggressive features like EMT, while in infiltrating lymphocytes, it predicts a better prognosis, particularly within TNBC tumors. The GRsig emerges as a promising independent prognostic indicator across diverse BC subtypes.

An androgen receptor regulated gene score is associated with epithelial to mesenchymal transition features in triple negative breast cancers.

BACKGROUND: Androgen receptor (AR) is considered a marker of better prognosis in hormone receptor positive breast cancers (BC), however, its role in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is controversial. This may be attributed to intrinsic molecular differences or scoring methods for AR positivity. We derived AR regulated gene score and examined its utility in BC subtypes. METHODS: AR regulated genes were derived by applying a bioinformatic pipeline on publicly available microarray data sets of AR+ BC cell lines and gene score was calculated as average expression of six AR regulated genes. Tumors were divided into AR high and low based on gene score and associations with clinical parameters, circulating androgens, survival and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers were examined, further evaluated in invitro models and public datasets. RESULTS: 53% (133/249) tumors were classified as AR gene score high and were associated with significantly better clinical parameters, disease-free survival (86.13 vs 72.69 months, log rank p = 0.032) when compared to AR low tumors. 36% of TNBC (N = 66) were AR gene score high with higher expression of EMT markers (p = 0.024) and had high intratumoral levels of 5α-reductase, enzyme involved in intracrine androgen metabolism. In MDA-MB-453 treated with dihydrotestosterone, SLUG expression increased, E-cadherin decreased with increase in migration and these changes were reversed with bicalutamide. Similar results were obtained in public datasets. CONCLUSION: Deciphering the role of AR in BC is difficult based on AR protein levels alone. Our results support the context dependent function of AR in driving better prognosis in ER positive tumors and EMT features in TNBC tumors.

Premenopausal women with breast cancer in the early post-partum period show molecular profiles of invasion and are associated with poor prognosis.

PURPOSE: Young premenopausal women develop breast cancer (BC) within 5-10 years of the last childbirth, known as post-partum breast cancers (PPBC), often present with aggressive disease. The exact mechanisms that lead to poor prognosis in these patients are largely unknown. METHODS: We have evaluated the association of clinical and reproductive factors with BC in a cohort of women ≤ 45 years (N = 155) with long-term follow-up. Based on duration since last childbirth (LCB), grouped patients into PPBC1 (LCB ≤ 5 years), PPBC2 (LCB between 6 and 10 years), PPBC3 (LCB > 10 years), and NPBC (age-matched nulliparous BC patients). We compared disease-free survival and hazard associated with recurrence/metastasis between the groups. RNA sequencing of tumor samples was performed from three parous groups (n = 10), and transcriptomic data were analyzed for differentially expressed genes and altered pathways. RESULTS: Women in the PPBC1 group had an early menarche and late age at first and last childbirth compared to other groups. Survival analysis within lymph node-positive tumors showed that PPBC1 tumors had a worse prognosis than PPBC2 and NPBC tumors (p = 0.015 and p = 0.026, respectively). Clustering of the differentially expressed genes between the groups showed distinct expression in early PPBC (E-PPBC) tumors. Pathway analysis revealed upregulation of invasive-related pathways along with T cell exhaustion, extracellular matrix remodeling, angiogenesis, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in E-PPBC tumors. CONCLUSION: Early PPBC is a unique subtype with aggressive clinical features and distinct biology. Further research is needed to accurately project the risk of recurrence and optimal treatment strategies in these young patients.

A comparative analysis of clinicopathological features and survival between pre and postmenopausal breast cancer from an Indian cohort.

Breast cancer (BC) among premenopausal women is an aggressive disease associated with poor outcome despite intensive treatment. Higher burden is observed in southeast Asian countries attributed to younger population structure. We compared the reproductive and clinicopathological characteristics, distribution of subtypes and survival between pre and postmenopausal women from a retrospective cohort of BC patients with median follow up over 6 years to examine the differences. In our cohort of 446 BC patients, 162/446 (36.3%) were premenopausal. Parity and age at last childbirth were significantly different between pre and postmenopausal women. Premenopausal BC had a higher proportion of HER2 amplified and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) tumors (p = 0.012). Stratified analysis by molecular subtypes showed TNBC had significantly better disease free (DFS) and overall survival (OS) among premenopausal group (mean survival, pre vs. post, DFS = 79.2 vs. 54.0 months, OS = 72.5 vs. 49.5 months, p = 0.002 for both). Analysis on external datasets (SCAN-B, METABRIC) confirmed this finding for overall survival. Our data confirmed the previously observed association of clinical and pathological features between pre and postmenopausal BC. Exploration of better survival among premenopausal TNBC tumors is warranted in larger cohorts with long term follow up.

Estimation of ALU Repetitive Elements in Plasma as a Cost-Effective Liquid Biopsy Tool for Disease Prognosis in Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Liquid biopsy is widely recognized as an efficient diagnostic method in oncology for disease detection and monitoring. Though the examination of circulating tumor cells (CTC) is mostly implemented for the assessment of genomic aberrations, the need of complex methodologies for their detection has impeded its acceptance in low-resource settings. We evaluated cell-free DNA (cfDNA) as a liquid biopsy tool and investigated its utility in breast cancer patients. METHODS: Total cell-free DNA was extracted from the plasma of breast cancer patients (n = 167) with a median follow-up of more than 5 years, at various stages of the disease. Quantitative PCR was performed to estimate the copy numbers of two fractions of ALU repetitive elements (ALU 115 and ALU 247), and DNA integrity (DI) was calculated as the ratio of ALU 247/115. Mutations in TP53 and PIK3CA in the cfDNA were estimated by next-gen sequencing (NGS) in a subset of samples. Associations of the levels of both the ALU fragments with various clinico-pathological factors and disease-free survival at various stages were examined. Nomogram models were constructed with clinical variables and ALU 247 levels to predict disease-free survival and the best performing model was evaluated by decision curve analysis. RESULTS: DI and ALU 247 levels were significantly lower (p < 0.0001) in the post-operative plasma when compared to their pre-surgery levels. DI and ALU 247 were found to be significantly higher in patients with metastasis (p < 0.05). Patients with higher levels of ALU 247 in their post-operative plasma had significant poor disease-free survival (p = 0.005). Higher levels of ALU 247 in the circulation also correlated with low tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) within their primary tumors in the ER-negative breast cancer subtype (p = 0.01). Cox proportional hazard analysis confirmed ALU 247 as an independent variable of disease-free survival both in univariate and multivariate analysis [HR 1.3 (95% CI 1.047 to 1.613, p = 0.017)]. The nomogram model showed that the addition of ALU 247 with other variables significantly improved (C-index 0.823) the predictive ability of the model. CONCLUSION: Our results confirm the utility of cfDNA as an evolving liquid biopsy tool for molecular analysis. Evaluation of larger fragments of cfDNA estimated through ALU 247 can provide vital information concurrent with the pathological process of disease evolution in breast cancer and warrants expansion to other cancer types.

Intraosseous Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Anterior Mandible: A Case Report.

Intraosseous mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is a rare neoplasm, generally presenting in the posterior mandible and occurring in the 3rd-5th decade. This condition may mimic ameloblastoma both clinically and radiologically, with challenges in diagnosis. We present the case of a 51-year-old female who presented with a history of swelling over her jaw for one month. On examination, the mass involved the outer table of the mandible, from the right canine to the left first premolar. The swelling was hard, non-tender, with a nodular surface. A PET CT scan showed a multiloculated cystic lesion in the anterior mandible. An orthopantomogram (OPG) depicted a lytic lesion in the anterior mandible with outer table involvement and was suspected to be ameloblastoma. The patient underwent segmental mandibulectomy, neo-mandible reconstruction surgery with an osteomyocutaneous free fibular flap (from the right leg), and split skin grafting over the donor site. The patient recovered well. However, contrary to our suspected diagnosis, the final histopathological report showed features suggestive of mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Hence, mucoepidermoid carcinoma can be misdiagnosed as ameloblastoma due to similar clinico-radiological features. Histopathology is confirmatory and needs to be reviewed to confirm the diagnosis.

Abstract PS6-55: The prognostic utility of AR/ER ratio in young women with breast cancer.

Background: World over, less than a quarter of breast cancer diagnoses are in premenopausal women. However, in India premenopausal women constitute half of all women with breast cancer in most hospital case series. Most of these women present at advanced stages with aggressive subtypes of disease and hence the high mortality.The role and utility of detecting androgen receptor (AR) expression in the different sub-types of breast cancer, especially the ones without hormone receptor expression is yet to be firmly established. Evidence from previous studies is suggestive of its beneficial role in hormone receptor positive (HR+) breast cancer. The biological function of AR on the mammary epithelium is determined by the Estrogen receptor (ER) context, in that, it is found to be anti-proliferative in ER positive tumors while it is thought to promote growth in the absence of ER activity. An interesting approach to representing this interplay is as a ratio between AR/ER expressions. As expected, the ratio has been shown to be positively correlated with better outcomes in hormone receptor cancers, mostly in postmenopausal women. The effect of a high ratio in ER negative tumors seems more complicated. In this study, we have evaluated the AR/ER ratio specifically in patients younger than 50 years in whom the estrogenic influence is dominant due to their premenopausal status. Materials and Methods: Tumor samples from patients 50 years or younger were chosen from a larger cohort of 275 patients with median follow up of 72 months. Expression of ER and AR proteins were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC), and the transcript levels of ESR1 and AR were determined by quantitative PCR. Relative normalized units of their gene expression were used to calculate the AR/ER ratio. A cut-off at the 3rd quartile was used to divide tumors into categories of high and low ratios. Clinical characteristics were compared between the low and high ratio groups along with IHC subtype distribution (HR+, HER2+ and Triple negative (TNBC)). Kaplan Meier curves was used for survival analysis and Cox proportional hazard analysis model was used to calculate the hazard ratio (HR). The results were validated in METABRIC dataset. Results: Eighty-eight (32%) patients were <50 years with a mean age of 43 years. AR/ER ratio ranged between 0.6 to 3.5 with a mean of 1.5. Sixty-six tumors were categorized as low and 22 were high based on the 3Q cut off (1.7). Clinical characters such as age, tumor size, grade, stage of disease was not different between the high and low ratio categories. Distribution of IHC subtypes among each group showed high ratio category had 64% TNBC tumors (p<0.0001). Tumors with high ratio had poor disease-free survival, (HR-2.6(95% CI-1-6.9) p-0.03). Trends in the METABRIC dataset was similar with 411(21%) patients <50 years. Ninety-seven patients with high ratio had significantly poor disease-free survival (HR-1.95 (95% CI-1.3-2.7) p-0.000). Conclusion: Interaction between AR and ER is known to influence the AR activity and our results reiterate prognostic ability of AR/ER ratio even in young patients of breast cancer. Our results suggest androgenic influences on clinical progression of breast cancer in this age group mediated through AR, has to be examined by its level in relation to the activity of ER, particularly in hormone receptor negative breast cancers. Even more importantly, examining these influences in the context of the menopausal status might help identify subgroups of patients most likely to benefit from interventions targeted at AR.

Pre-Menopausal Women With Breast Cancers Having High AR/ER Ratios in the Context of Higher Circulating Testosterone Tend to Have Poorer Outcomes.

Purpose: Women with breast tumors with higher expression of AR are in general known to have better survival outcomes while a high AR/ER ratio is associated with poor outcomes in hormone receptor positive breast cancers mostly in post menopausal women. We have evaluated the AR/ER ratio in the context of circulating androgens specifically in patients younger than 50 years most of whom are pre-menopausal and hence have a high estrogenic hormonal milieu. Methods: Tumor samples from patients 50 years or younger at first diagnosis were chosen from a larger cohort of 270 patients with median follow-up of 72 months. Expression levels of ER and AR proteins were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and the transcript levels by quantitative PCR. Ciculating levels of total testosterone were estimated from serum samples. A ratio of AR/ER was derived using the transcript levels, and tumors were dichotomized into high and low ratio groups based on the third quartile value. Survival and the prognostic significance of the ratio was compared between the low and high ratio groups in all tumors and also within ER positive tumors. Results were further validated in external datasets (TCGA and METABRIC). Results: Eighty-eight (32%) patients were ≤50 years, with 22 having high AR/ER ratio calculated using the transcript levels. Circulating levels of total testosterone were higher in women whose tumors had a high AR/ER ratio (p = 0.02). Tumors with high AR/ER ratio had significantly poorer disease-free survival than those with low AR/ER ratio [HR-2.6 (95% CI-1.02-6.59) p = 0.04]. Evaluation of tumors with high AR/ER ratio within ER positive tumors alone reconfirmed the prognostic relevance of the high AR/ER ratio with a significant hazard ratio of 4.6 (95% CI-1.35-15.37, p = 0.01). Similar trends were observed in the TCGA and METABRIC dataset. Conclusion: Our data in pre-menopausal women with breast cancer suggest that it is not merely the presence or absence of AR expression but the relative activity of ER, as well as the hormonal milieu of the patient that determine clinical outcomes, indicating that both context and interactions ultimately influence tumor behavior.

Synchronous occurrence of myelodysplastic syndrome and a bleeding jejunal gastrointestinal stromal tumor in a patient with obscure gastrointestinal bleed.

The coexistence of gastrointestinal (GI) stromal tumors (GISTs) and other malignancies, both synchronous or metachronous, has been discussed extensively in literature. It has also been described that the frequency of malignancies among patients with GIST is significantly higher than that in the general population. We present a case report of a patient with synchronous occurrence of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and a GIST who presented with chronic fatigue and an episode of syncope and was found to have obscure GI bleed. Laboratory investigations revealed severe anemia, marrow picture was suggestive of MDS, and magnetic resonance imaging of the abdomen revealed a proximal small bowel neoplasm. She underwent resection of the diseased segment and anastomosis. The histopathology of the specimen confirmed the diagnosis of a GIST arising from the jejunum. She was started on imatinib on postoperative day 21 and is presently well preserved and on regular follow-up. The possibility of small bowel neoplasm, especially GIST, must be considered in patients diagnosed with chronic anemia secondary to obscure GI bleed and the possibility of a synchronous GIST, although uncommon must be considered in patients with myeloproliferative disorders and leukemia.

Giant Bilateral Adrenal Myelolipoma: Case Report.

Adrenal myelolipomas are nonfunctional tumors that are usually asymptomatic; however, they have been known to coexist with other endocrine disorders, such as Cushing's syndrome, congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), Conn's syndrome, and pheochromocytoma. We report a case of a 49-year-old man with hypertension and diabetes mellitus who complained of chronic abdominal pain, vomiting, and early satiety. Preoperative contrast-enhanced computerized tomography (CECT) was performed, and adrenal myelolipoma was considered, lab investigations revealed a nonfunctional tumor. CECT also revealed bilateral renal cortical cyst, right renal calculi, and hepatic cyst. A left open cortical sparing adrenalectomy was performed, pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis, and a radiological surveillance was planned for the right tumor. Four years following this, the patient came back with a similar presentation. Right adrenalectomy was performed after preoperative workup, and subsequently steroid replacement therapy was initiated. We suggest adequate follow-up of a patient presenting with adrenal myelolipoma and to explore the possibility of establishing a syndromic diagnosis such as autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD).

Does Quality of Life Among Modified Radical Mastectomy and Breast Conservation Surgery Patients Differ? A 5-Year Comparative Study.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among females worldwide, of whom more than 80% survive for more than 5 years. Hence, ensuring a good quality of life (QOL) is essential to achieve holistic approach in treating patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted to compare the QOL in women who underwent modified radical mastectomy (MRM) and breast conservation surgery (BCS) for breast cancer in the last 5 years. QOL was evaluated based on the long-term quality of life-breast cancer (LTQOL-BC) questionnaire. A greater percentage of women who underwent MRM complained of difficulty in completing their house work compared with the BCS group (50% compared with 31%). Twenty-five percent (6) of the women who had undergone MRM reported feeling of being incomplete as women, along with a lack of femininity. However, more than 80% of the women in both groups said that they felt stronger as survivors and derived strength from their experience. There were significant differences in the quality of life of women from both groups in terms of physical function and body image, with the BCS group appearing to have a better QOL.

Adding bit of esthetics with science modification of batwing mastopexy for breast conservation in a young patient with giant fibroadenoma breast.

A 19-year-old girl presented with a lump in her right breast and with a history of surgery for the similar complaint 3 years back. Ultrasound was suggestive of benign solitary lesion of size 16 cm × 10 cm. Core biopsy was suggestive of phyllodes tumor, and the histopathology report of previous surgery was also suggestive of phyllodes tumor. Wide excision of the tumor and reconstruction was done with batwing mastopexy and with a slight modification of the described technique so that to avoid contralateral reduction mammoplasty in a young unmarried girl. Postoperative histopathology was suggestive of fibroadenoma measuring 15 cm × 8 cm with all margins free of tumor, and it is probably one of the biggest fibroadenomas reported so far. On follow-up, no significant disparity noted between the appearances of both breasts.

Elevated Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio in Luminal-Type Locally Advanced Breast Cancer to Circumvent Neo-Adjuvant Chemotherapy.

Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) provides an understanding of the systemic inflammatory conditions. NLR plays an important role as a predictor of mortality in breast and other malignancies. The application of NLR to predict prognosis of Locally Advanced Breast Cancer (LABC) has not been well developed. In this retrospective study, we establish a relationship of pre-treatment NLR with the Pathological Complete Response (pCR) in LABC patients to enhance decision-making and treatment protocols. Data of women diagnosed with carcinoma breast between January 2015 and December 2017 was retrieved from hospital records of a tertiary medical centre in Bangalore, India, after obtaining institutional ethical clearance. LABC patients were categorized into pCR(+) and pCR(-). NLR was calculated and divided into quartiles. The cutoff NLR was determined using the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve. Statistical analysis was performed on 119 LABC patients, of which 25 (21%) achieved pCR. Oestrogen Receptor (ER) positivity was significantly lower in pCR(+) than in pCR(-) (p = 0.012). NLR of 2.46 (AUC, 0.744; 95% CI [0.201-0.584]; p = 0.056) was considered the optimum cutoff for pCR(+). A sensitivity of 54%, specificity of 8%, positive predictive value of 1% and high Negative Predictive Value (NPV) of 84% was achieved in the study. A relationship between pCR and the pre-treatment NLR determined a significantly high NPV. Poor pCR in luminal A/B subtype presents with elevated NLR. Therefore, in luminal type A/B (ER- and PR-positive) with elevated NLR (poor outcome) and low pCR (poor response to NACT), the decision of eliminating NACT could be considered, thereby recommending surgical intervention.

HATRICK-Synchronous Triple Primary Tumors of Thyroid.

Multiple primary cancer (MPC) has an incidence of 1.8% and is defined as having two or more cancers in a single patient. Synchronous tumors are defined as ≥ 2 primary tumors occurring within 6 months of diagnosis of the first primary tumor. We present a case of a 27-year-old female patient who presented with a painless, gradually progressive right-sided neck swelling for the last 1 year with no systemic complaints. Examination revealed a 4 × 3-cm, firm, smooth surfaced swelling on right lobe of thyroid. USG neck showed a hypoechoic solid nodule on the right lobe and the left lobe was normal. FNAC showed features of adenomatous colloid nodule, Bethesda II. Right hemithyroidectomy specimen revealed evidence of triple tumors-not otherwise-specified (NOS) tumor, papillary carcinoma thyroid, and medullary carcinoma thyroid, which was confirmed with positivity on IHC with synaptophysin, CEA, and chromogranin. Concurrent appearance of NOS, PTC, and medullary carcinoma thyroid in the very same patient is extremely rare and has not been previously reported in the English literature.

Histological Surprises in Benign Cytologies after Lymph Node Biopsy-Surgeon's Knife Improving Patient Care.

Lymphadenopathy can be due to multitude of causes. Owing to the high prevalence of infectious diseases in India, and malignancy being a life threatening cause for lymphadenopathy; accurate diagnosis is important in preventing delay or misdiagnosis and in improving patient care, thereby increasing longevity with quality. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is the first line investigation commonly done. Should the doctor be contented with the benign FNAC or is a lymph node biopsy needed in this age? The aims of this study are the following: (1) to study the spectral pattern of lymph node biopsies done in a surgical oncology unit of tertiary care centre, (2) to assess the yield of malignant cases from lymph node biopsy and (3) to compare the reliability of benign FNAC with lymph node biopsy. Cross-sectional study of 114 cases that underwent lymph node biopsy during the year 2014, at the Surgical Oncology Department of St. John's Medical College Hospital, Bangalore. Lymph node biopsies were done in the outpatient department (OPD) under local anaesthesia or in the operation theatre under local anaesthesia/monitored anaesthesia care based on the clinical condition of the patient. Regional lymph node dissections, central node biopsy, patients with known case of malignancy were excluded. Specimen sent for histopathological study and immunohistochemistry (IHC) done when needed. 58.8% were males among study population, age ranging from 15 to 80 years, 57% cervical and 29.8% axillary lymph node biopsies done. Sixty-seven percent (67%) of biopsies done in OPD. Thirty-three percent (33%) of biopsies in the operation theatre among which 60.5% under local anaesthesia only. 35.1% cases were reactive hyperplasia, 24.6% lymphomas with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma being the commonest, 13.2% metastatic disease with adenocarcinoma being the commonest. 72.7% of the supraclavicular nodes were malignant. 47.4% of subjects had prior FNAC of the lymph node. Twenty-five percent (25%) of the reactive hyperplasia's on FNAC (p < 0.0001), 33.3% of inadequate FNAC (p = 0.003) and 75% of atypical cells in FNAC turned to be malignant on lymph node biopsy with a discordance rate of 20.3%. Lymph node size didn't correlate with neoplasm. In our study, benign cytologies were malignant on biopsy and statistically significant. Lymph node biopsies are reliable in detecting malignancy and subtyping of the disease. In the presence of strong clinical suspicion, lymph node biopsy is essential even when the FNAC is promisingly benign in a country with limited resources. Lymph node biopsy can be safely done in OPD under local anaesthesia at a lower cost, resulting in a reliable diagnosis thereby improving patient care.

Feasibility of Axillary Reverse Mapping and Clinicopathological Features Predicting ARM Node Metastasis in Breast Cancer-a Pilot Study.

The axillary reverse mapping (ARM) technique has been described as an attempt to map and preserve the upper extremity lymphatic drainage during axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) and/or SLNB. This technique is based on the hypothesis that the lymphatic pathway from the upper extremity is not involved by metastasis from primary breast cancer. The ARM node/s however, has been found, in various studies, to be involved with metastatic foci in patients with extensive axillary lymph node metastases. Therefore, the oncological safety of this procedure has not yet been determined. In this pilot study, we assessed the ARM node intraoperatively for various parameters and compared it to final HPR, to try and determine the oncologic safety of preserving the ARM node. Seventy-two breast cancer patients were screened for this prospective pilot study which was planned to recruit 20 patients. The study was initiated on May 2014, 20 patients were recruited till July 2015. Eligibility criterion was as follows: patients requiring primary axillary lymph node dissection based on a clinically positive axilla. Forty-five patients were ineligible because they had either received neoadjuvant chemotherapy or underwent previous axillary surgery or axillary radiation (exclusion criteria). Seven patients refused to give consent. ARM node identification rate was 75%. The most common location of the ARM node was lateral to the latissimus dorsi pedicle (42.10%), none of them being malignant. None of the oval or firm nodes were malignant. Tumor deposits were identified in 13%. Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) had 100% specificity, 94.4% negative predictive value, 100% positive predictive value, and 50% sensitivity. ARM is feasible using blue dye alone, with an acceptable identification rate. Location, consistency, and intraoperative FNAC of the ARM node, put together, may be reliable parameters to predict involvement of the ARM node with metastasis.

Pattern of External Breast Prosthesis Use by Post Mastectomy Breast Cancer Patients in India: Descriptive Study from Tertiary Care Centre.

In India, Breast cancer is now the most common cancer in urban and 2nd most common in rural areas [1]. The incidence is rising, more younger women are getting affected and due to increase in survival rates there is an increase in the total number of women suffering from breast Cancer. So far there are no studies evaluating the pattern of breast prosthesis use in Indian scenario. The aim of this study is to address the patterns of external breast prosthesis used in India and view of Indian women on such prosthesis after mastectomy for breast cancer. This was a descriptive longitudinal study. In this study we interviewed (telephonic) 63 people, after three years of completing treatment under The Department of Surgical Oncology, St. Johns medical college, Bangalore. Among the study group, 27 members (40 %) were using various prosthesis, rest 36 women were not using any type of prosthesis. Among the users of prosthesis, silicon prosthesis was used by 6 women, padded cups by 8 women, cloth or cotton by 12 women and 1 woman used other type of prosthesis. Most women use simple items like cloth and cotton (44 %). Next most commonly used prosthesis are padded cups(). Only 22 % of women were found using silicon prosthesis in this study. Most of the well educated patients used external prosthesis either in the form of silicon prosthesis or padded cups. Most of women below age of 50 used external breast prosthesis. Use of prosthesis was more in urban compared to rural population (48 % vs 25 %). Prosthesis users worried more about the body image than women not using prosthesis. 25 % of women using prosthesis had body image issues where as only 5 % of non prosthesis users had such problems. Prosthesis users need improvement in terms of comfort, size, shape and affordability. Most common reasons for not using prosthesis are age, lack of motivation and awareness. Less than half of the women included in this study used external prosthesis after mastectomy for breast cancer. Most of the women are used home made prosthesis like cloth and cotton (44.4 %). Education, age and urban status are the strong factors which influences use of prosthesis. Prosthesis users are those who are more concerned about their body image. There is a palpable need to develop better prosthesis at affordable price.

An unusual presentation of thyroid cancer.

Well-differentiated thyroid cancers can present with nodal metastasis that have undergone cystic degeneration. Rarely, mediastinal nodes may undergo cystic changes and pose a diagnostic dilemma, especially if the primary lesion is occult. We describe the case of a patient who presented with a large mediastinal cystic lesion which turned out to be metastasis from thyroid cancer.

Ultrasonic shears versus electrocautery in axillary dissection for breast cancer-a randomized controlled trial.

Theoretical advantages of use of Ultrasonic shears include less tissue damage and better sealing of lymphatic vessels. This may play a role in reducing prolonged drainage following axillary dissection for breast cancer. We conducted a prospective randomized controlled study to evaluate efficacy of ultrasonic shears over cautery for axillary dissection. Between April 2011 and April 2013, 92 patients were randomized to undergo axillary dissection with either ultrasonic shears (n = 46) or electrocautery (n = 46). Primary endpoints were time till drain removal and cumulative axillary drainage. Categorical data were compared by Pearson's chi-squared test. Continuous variables were compared by Independent t test or Mann Whitney U test. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 18.0. Both groups were comparable with respect to clinical and pathologic characteristics. Clinical characteristics of mean age, body mass index, side of tumor, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and type of surgery (breast conservation or mastectomy) were similar. Pathologic variables (weight of specimen, number of lymph nodes harvested, pathologic T and N status, as well as grade of tumor) were also comparable among the two groups. There was no statistically significant difference in either primary endpoint of time till drain removal (15 vs. 14.5 days, p = 0.73) or cumulative axillary drainage (1,260 vs. 1,086.5 ml, p = 0.79). Patient and disease characteristics among the two groups were similar. But, there was no difference in either primary endpoint of cumulative axillary drainage or time to drain removal. We conclude that there is no advantage to use of ultrasonic shears over cautery in reducing drainage following axillary dissection for breast cancer.