Substantial Reduction in Adjuvant Chemotherapy With the Use of the 21-Gene Test to Manage Early Breast Cancer in a Public Hospital in Brazil.

PURPOSE: We evaluated the impact of 21-gene test results on treatment decisions for patients with early-stage breast cancer treated under the public health care system in Brazil, Sistema Único de Saúde. METHODS: Eligible patients treated at Hospital Pérola Byington and Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo in Brazil were required to have the following characteristics: postsurgery with hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor 2-negative, node-negative and node-positive, and T1/T2 breast cancer and patients with these characteristics were candidates for adjuvant systemic therapy. Treatment recommendations, chemotherapy plus hormonal therapy (CT + HT) or HT alone, were captured before and after 21-gene test results. RESULTS: From August 2018 to April 2019, 179 women were enrolled. The mean age was 58 years (29-86 years), 135 (76%) were postmenopausal, and 58 (32%) had node-positive breast cancer. Most patients (61%) had a tumor > 2 cm, including 7% with tumors > 4 cm. Using Recurrence Score (RS) result cut points on the basis of the TAILORx trial, 40 (22%) had RS 0-10, 91 (51%) had RS 11-25, and 48 (27%) had RS 26-100. Before 21-gene testing, 162 of 179 (91%) patients were recommended for CT. After testing, 117 of 179 patients (65%) had changes in CT recommendation: 112 (63%) who were initially recommended CT received HT alone and five (3%) who were initially recommended HT alone received CT + HT. After 21-gene testing, 99% of physicians reported strong confidence in their treatment recommendations. CONCLUSION: The change in clinical practice at these public hospitals was greater than expected: 66% of initial treatment recommendations were changed to omit CT with 21-gene test results. Clinicopathologic features did not correlate well with 21-gene test results and did not adequately identify those most likely to benefit from CT.

Lagochilascariasis leading to severe involvement of ocular globes, ears and meninges.

A case report of a 31 year-old woman from Paraíba State (North-Eastern Brazil) that presented severe involvement of ocular globes, ears and meninges. Diagnosis was established after enucleation of her left eye, when adult worms were seen in the midst of a granulomatous inflammatory process. Her response to the initial treatment with levamisole and cambendazole was good, but there was a relapse after the fifth month of treatment even with maintenance doses of both medications. She later received ivermectin and albendazol and responded well.

Lagochilascariasis leading to severe involvement of ocular globes, ears and meninges / Infecção humana por Lagochilascaris minor com envolvimento ocular, auditivo e das meninges

A case report of a 31 year-old woman from Paraíba State (North-Eastern Brazil) that presented severe involvement of ocular globes, ears and meninges. Diagnosis was established after enucleation of her left eye, when adult worms were seen in the midst of a granulomatous inflammatory process. Her response to the initial treatment with levamisole and cambendazole was good, but there was a relapse after the fifth month of treatment even with maintenance doses of both medications. She later received ivermectin and albendazol and responded well.

Paciente do sexo feminino, com 31 anos, procedente da Paraíba, apresentava envolvimento severo de ambos os globos oculares, com perda da visão à esquerda, comprometimento da audição e das meninges. Após enucleação do olho esquerdo fragmento de helminto identificado como Lagochilascaris minor foi observado em processo inflamatório granulomatoso. Inicialmente a paciente foi tratada com levamisol e cambendazol, com bom resultado. Verificou-se, todavia, piora do quadro após cinco meses, com eliminação de larvas do ascarídeo em lesão presente na órbita esquerda, embora a medicação fosse mantida com administração periódica. Houve boa resposta terapêutica, com regressão do quadro, após substituição dos anti-helmínticos anteriores pela associação ivermectina e albendazol.