Mastectomy with Reconstruction Including Robotic Endoscopic Surgery (MARRES): a prospective cohort study of the Korea Robot-Endoscopy Minimal Access Breast Surgery Study Group (KoREa-BSG) and Korean Breast Cancer Study Group (KBCSG).

BACKGROUND: Robotic nipple-sparing mastectomy (RNSM) has emerged as a new treatment option for breast cancer and risk-reducing mastectomy (RRM) for women who have a high risk of pathogenic variants. Even though several studies have reported that RNSM is a feasible procedure, some argue that it should only be performed by specialized surgeons, and data on oncologic outcomes and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are limited. Recently, the United States Food and Drug Administration and several surgeons warned that robotic breast surgery should be performed only by specialized surgeons and recommended that the benefits, risks, and alternatives of all available treatment options be discussed with patients so they can make informed treatment decisions. The Korea Robot-Endoscopy Minimal Access Breast Surgery Study Group (KoREa-BSG) has been established to evaluate, standardize, and teach this state-of-the-art procedure. We have designed a multicenter prospective cohort study entitled Mastectomy with Reconstruction Including Robot Endoscopic Surgery (MARRES) to report surgical, PRO, and oncologic outcomes. METHODS: MARRES is a multi-institution cohort study prospectively collecting data from patients undergoing mastectomy and reconstruction. The patient inclusion criteria are adult women older than 19 with breast cancer or a high risk of breast cancer (patients with BRCA1/2, TP53, PALB2 mutations, etc.), who have scheduled therapeutic or RRM and want immediate reconstruction. Surgical outcomes, including pre- and postoperative photos, oncologic outcomes, cost-effectiveness, and PRO, are collected. The primary endpoints are postoperative complication rates within 30 postoperative days and the Clavien-Dindo grade of postoperative complications within 180 postoperative days. The secondary endpoints are 5-year postoperative recurrence-free survival and cancer incidence rate (for those who underwent RRM), patient satisfaction with reconstruction expectations preoperative (baseline) and results within 6 to 12 postoperative months, surgeon satisfaction with postoperative results in 6 postoperative months, and cost-effectiveness of the definitive surgery. Patient recruitment will be completed in April 2025, and the target number of enrolled patients is 2000. DISCUSSION: This study will provide evidence about the surgical outcomes, oncologic outcomes, and patient satisfaction with RNSM and endoscopic nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM), compared with conventional NSM. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT04585074. Registered April 8, 2020.

Robot-assisted Nipple-sparing Mastectomy With Immediate Breast Reconstruction: An initial Experience of the Korea Robot-endoscopy Minimal Access Breast Surgery Study Group (KoREa-BSG).

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to present the results of early experience of robot-assisted nipple sparing mastectomy (RANSM). BACKGROUND: RANSM improves cosmetic outcomes over conventional nipple-sparing mastectomy. However, data on the feasibility and safety of the RANSM are limited. METHODS: Patients who underwent RANSM with immediate breast reconstruction as part of the Korea Robot-endoscopy Minimal Access Breast Surgery Study Group (KoREa-BSG) from November 2016 to January 2020 were enrolled. clinicopathologic characteristics, perioperative complications, and operation time were collected. RESULTS: Overall, 73 women underwent 82 RANSM procedures conducted by 11 breast surgeons at 8 institutions. The median patient age was 45.5 years old (20-66 years), and 52 (63.4%) patients were premenopausal. Invasive breast cancer was noted in 55 cases (40 cases were stage i, 11 cases were stage ii, and 4 cases were stage iii, respectively) and ductal carcinoma in-situ was recorded in 20 cases. Of those, 3 patients with BRCA1/2 mutation carriers underwent contralateral risk-reducing RANSM. The median length of hospitalization was 12.0 days (5.0-24.0 days). The incision location was the mid-axillary line and the median incision length was 50.0 mm (30.0-60.0 mm). Median total operation time, median total mastectomy time, and median reconstruction time was 307.0 minutes (163.0-796.0 minutes), 189.5 minutes (97.5-325.0 minutes), and 119.5 minutes (45.0-689.0 minutes). Only 2 cases (2.5%) required reoperation. Nipple ischemia was found in 9 cases (10.9%) but only 1 case (1.2%) required nipple excision given that 8 cases (9.7%) resolved spontaneously. Skin ischemia was observed in 5 cases (6.1%) and only 2 (2.4%) cases needed skin excision whereas 3 cases (3.6%) resolved spontaneously. There was no conversion to open surgery orcases of mortality. The mean time for mastectomy among surgeons who performed more than 10 cases was 182.3 minutes (± 53.7, minutes) and 195.4 minutes (± 50.4, minutes). CONCLUSION: This was the first report of RANSM conducted in the KoREa-BSG. RANSM is technically feasible and acceptable with a short learning curve. Further prospective research to evaluate surgical and oncologic outcomes is needed.

Prevalence of breast cancer-related risk factors in underweight premenopausal women: the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey IV-VI.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine the prevalence and trends of breast cancer-related risk factors and characteristics in premenopausal underweight Korean women according to birth year cohort. METHODS: Socioeconomic and breast cancer-related risk factors were investigated in 13,415 premenopausal women using nationwide cross-sectional surveys performed between 2007 and 2015. Underweight was defined as body mass index < 18.5 kg/m2. Multivariable models were created using complex sample procedures. RESULTS: Underweight women comprised 9.5% of the sample. Compared with those who were obese or of normal weight, underweight women were characterized by younger age, higher rate of metropolitan residence, higher economic status, more education, higher rates of non-manual employment and unmarried status, lower rate of early menarche, higher rates of nulliparity, lower parity, alcohol consumption, and never having breastfed, and lower levels of high physical activity. Multivariable analysis showed that underweight women had a significantly lower rate of early menarche, lower parity, higher nulliparity, older age at first delivery, and lower levels of high physical activity compared to premenopausal women with normal weight. These trends were more apparent among women born in recent years. CONCLUSIONS: Underweight Korean premenopausal women exhibit distinctive features associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, except for a lower rate of early menarche. These associations were prominent in recent generations. Assessment of the association between underweight and premenopausal breast cancer risk should focus on promoting healthy lifestyles to reduce breast cancer risk.

Retrospectively validating the results of the ACOSOG Z0011 trial in a large Asian Z0011-eligible cohort.

PURPOSE: The Z0011 trial demonstrated that axillary dissection (ALND) could be omitted during breast-conserving therapy for cT1-2N0 breast cancers with 1-2 metastatic SLNs. However, that result has not been validated in a larger cohort and the significance of the small number of SLNs remains unclear. This study aimed to validate the Z0011 results within an Asian Z0011-eligible cohort and determine whether the number of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) influenced the Z0011-based outcomes. METHODS: Data from Asian patients who fulfilled the Z0011 criteria were collected from five hospitals. Disease recurrence (DR) was compared between patients who underwent ALND or SLN dissection (SLND) alone. Propensity-score matching was performed to reduce the effects of potential selection biases. RESULTS: During 2010-2016, 1750 Asian patients had 1-2 SLN metastases and fulfilled the Z0011 criteria. These patients included 707 cases treated using SLND alone (40%) and 967 patients with ≤ 2 SLNs (55%). Ninety-five patients (5.4%) experienced DR at a median interval of 50 months, although the rates of DR were similar in the ALND and SLND groups. The adjusted hazard ratios for DR after ALND omission were 0.95 (95% CI 0.55-1.64) among the entire cohort and 0.83 (95% CI 0.34-2.03) among patients with ≤ 2 SLNs. CONCLUSIONS: In this Asian Z0011-eligible cohort, ALND omission did not increase risk of DR, even among patients with ≤ 2 SLNs. Therefore, the Z0011 strategy might be safely applied in Asia, and a small number of SLNs did not significantly influence this strategy.

Single dose of dexamethasone is not associated with postoperative recurrence and mortality in breast cancer patients: a propensity-matched cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Dexamethasone is widely used in cancer patients despite the concern that perioperative glucocorticoids may potentially cause immunosuppression. However, studies on the influence of dexamethasone on cancer recurrence after curative surgery have produced conflicting results. The goal of our study was to compare postoperative recurrence-free survival and overall survival between patients with breast cancer who received perioperative dexamethasone and those who did not. METHODS: The medical records of 2729 patients who underwent breast cancer surgery between November 2005 and December 2010 were reviewed. These patients were followed up until December 2015. The patients were categorised according whether they received a single dose of intravenous dexamethasone perioperatively or not. Cox regression analyses were conducted to evaluate any associations between dexamethasone usage with postoperative recurrence and mortality. Additionally, we performed a sensitivity test with propensity score matching to adjust for selection bias. RESULTS: Among the 2628 patients, 236 (8.5%) received perioperative dexamethasone. No increasing risk for recurrence (hazard ratio [HR], 1.442; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.969-2.145; P = 0.071) or mortality (HR, 1.256; 95% CI, 0.770-2.047; P = 0.361) after breast cancer surgery were identified in patients who received dexamethasone. Similarly, propensity score matching did not show significant associations in postoperative recurrence (HR, 1.389; 95% CI, 0.904-2.132; P = 0.133) or mortality (HR, 1.506; 95% CI, 0.886-2.561; P = 0.130) in patients who received dexamethasone. CONCLUSIONS: We found that a perioperative single dose of dexamethasone is not associated with increased recurrence or mortality after curative surgery in breast cancer patients.

Impact of Micrometastatic Axillary Nodes on Survival of Breast Cancer Patients with Tumors ≤2 cm.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the impact of pN1mi disease on the survival of T1 breast cancer patients and examined the clinical usefulness of the online PREDICT tool and updated staging system. METHODS: The node stages of 2344 patients were divided into pN0, pN1mi, and pN1a. Clinicopathological parameters and survival outcomes were retrospectively analyzed. Data for 111 micrometastatic diseases were applied to the PREDICT version 2.0 and re-classified using the 8th edition of the cancer staging manual. RESULTS: Univariable analyses demonstrated worse disease-free and overall survival rates for patients with node-positive cancer; however, the significance was not maintained in multivariable analyses. Chemotherapy improved outcomes in patients with node-positive and non-luminal A-like subtype cancers. The PREDICT tool demonstrated good performance when estimating the 5-year overall survival for pN1mi disease (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.834). According to the updated staging system, 74% of cases were down-staged to IA, and clearly splitting survival curves were identified. CONCLUSION: pN1mi disease alone did not adversely affect survival outcomes. Biologic and treatment factors determined outcomes in cases of small-volume node micrometastasis. The PREDICT tool or new staging classification could help predict the survival of patients with micrometastatic sentinel nodes.

Preoperative prediction of the size of pure ductal carcinoma in situ using three imaging modalities as compared to histopathological size: does magnetic resonance imaging add value?

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasonography add value to traditional mammography in an Asian population with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). METHODS: Data of 244 patients with pure DCIS treated at Severance Hospital between 2013 and 2015 were analyzed retrospectively. Data extracted included age, preoperative diagnosis, tumor size on preoperative imaging studies, and final histopathological tumor type and size, including hormone receptor status. The extent of correlation between imaging and histopathological tumor sizes was evaluated using a variety of methods, including Bland-Altman analysis. RESULTS: The mean patient age was 52.39 years (SD = 10.31). The mean measurements of the tumor on preoperative ultrasonography, mammography, MRI, and histopathology were 1.80 (SD = 1.23) cm, 2.97 (SD = 1.92) cm, 2.53(SD = 1.84) cm, and 1.88 (SD = 1.36) cm, respectively. The mean differences in tumor size between ultrasonography, mammography, and MRI compared with histopathology were -0.09 (SD = 1.39), 1.09 (SD = 1.89), and 0.65 (SD = 1.78), respectively. The correlation between the sizes was significant with r values for ultrasonography, mammography, and MRI of 0.447 (SE = 0.061), 0.375 (SE = 0.042), and 0.409 (SE = 0.043), respectively. Mammography and MRI estimated tumor size significantly better for patients older than 50 years (p = 0.045 and <0.001, respectively). Mammography also provided good estimation for patients with a body mass index under 25 (p = 0.041). CONCLUSION: MRI is better at estimation of histopathological DCIS size compared with mammography. However, ultrasonography had better estimation compared with MRI and mammography, probably owing to the high breast density in this population.

Outcome following sentinel lymph node biopsy-guided decisions in breast cancer patients with conversion from positive to negative axillary lymph nodes after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: Many breast cancer patients with positive axillary lymph nodes achieve complete node remission after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The usefulness of sentinel lymph node biopsy in this situation is uncertain. This study evaluated the outcomes of sentinel biopsy-guided decisions in patients who had conversion of axillary nodes from clinically positive to negative following neoadjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: We reviewed the records of 1247 patients from five hospitals in Korea who had breast cancer with clinically axillary lymph node-positive status and negative conversion after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, between 2005 and 2012. Patients who underwent axillary operations with sentinel biopsy-guided decisions (Group A) were compared with patients who underwent complete axillary lymph node dissection without sentinel lymph node biopsy (Group B). Axillary node recurrence and distant recurrence-free survival were compared. RESULTS: There were 428 cases in Group A and 819 in Group B. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that recurrence-free survivals were not significantly different between Groups A and B (4-year axillary recurrence-free survival: 97.8 vs. 99.0%; p = 0.148). Multivariate analysis also indicated the two groups had no significant difference in axillary and distant recurrence-free survival. CONCLUSIONS: For breast cancer patients who had clinical conversion of axillary lymph nodes from positive to negative following neoadjuvant chemotherapy, sentinel biopsy-guided axillary surgery, and axillary lymph node dissection without sentinel lymph node biopsy had similar rates of recurrence. Thus, sentinel biopsy-guided axillary operation in breast cancer patients who have clinically axillary lymph node positive to negative conversion following neoadjuvant chemotherapy is a useful strategy.

Resting heart rate as a prognostic factor for mortality in patients with breast cancer.

Although elevated resting heart rate (RHR) has been shown to be associated with mortality in the general population and patients with certain diseases, no study has examined this association in patients with breast cancer. A total of 4786 patients with stage I-III breast cancer were retrospectively selected from the Severance hospital breast cancer registry in Seoul, Korea. RHR was measured at baseline and the mean follow-up time for all patients was 5.0 ± 2.5 years. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using Cox regression models. After adjustment for prognostic factors, patients in the highest quintile of RHR (≥85 beat per minute (bpm)) had a significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 1.57; 95 %CI 1.05-2.35), breast cancer-specific mortality (HR: 1.69; 95 %CI 1.07-2.68), and cancer recurrence (HR: 1.49; 95 %CI 0.99-2.25), compared to those in the lowest quintile (≤67 bpm). Moreover, every 10 bpm increase in RHR was associated with 15, 22, and 6 % increased risk of all-cause mortality, breast cancer-specific mortality, and cancer recurrence, respectively. However, the association between RHR and cancer recurrence was not statistically significant (p = 0.26). Elevated RHR was associated with an increased risk of mortality in patients with breast cancer. The findings from this study suggest that RHR may be used as a prognostic factor for patients with breast cancer in clinical settings.

Prediction of a Multi-Gene Assay (Oncotype DX and Mammaprint) Recurrence Risk Group Using Machine Learning in Estrogen Receptor-Positive, HER2-Negative Breast Cancer-The BRAIN Study.

This study aimed to develop a machine learning-based prediction model for predicting multi-gene assay (MGA) risk categories. Patients with estrogen receptor-positive (ER+)/HER2- breast cancer who had undergone Oncotype DX (ODX) or MammaPrint (MMP) were used to develop the prediction model. The development cohort consisted of a total of 2565 patients including 2039 patients tested with ODX and 526 patients tested with MMP. The MMP risk prediction model utilized a single XGBoost model, and the ODX risk prediction model utilized combined LightGBM, CatBoost, and XGBoost models through soft voting. Additionally, the ensemble (MMP + ODX) model combining MMP and ODX utilized CatBoost and XGBoost through soft voting. Ten random samples, corresponding to 10% of the modeling dataset, were extracted, and cross-validation was performed to evaluate the accuracy on each validation set. The accuracy of our predictive models was 84.8% for MMP, 87.9% for ODX, and 86.8% for the ensemble model. In the ensemble cohort, the sensitivity, specificity, and precision for predicting the low-risk category were 0.91, 0.66, and 0.92, respectively. The prediction accuracy exceeded 90% in several subgroups, with the highest prediction accuracy of 95.7% in the subgroup that met Ki-67 <20 and HG 1~2 and premenopausal status. Our machine learning-based predictive model has the potential to complement existing MGAs in ER+/HER2- breast cancer.

Controversies and strengths of robot-assisted mastectomy.

Nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) is used to improve cosmetic outcomes while maintaining oncological safety in patients with early breast cancer; however, NSM requires a higher level of skill and workload than mastectomy and is associated with long, visible scars. Robotic surgical systems reduce surgeon workload and facilitate precise surgery. Considering the increasing support of robot-assisted NSM (RNSM), this paper aims to discuss the current controversies based on the research findings reported thus far. There are four concerns regarding RNSM; increased cost, oncological outcomes, the level of experience and skill, and standardization. It should be noted that RNSM is not a surgery performed on all patients but rather a procedure performed on selected patients who meet specific indications. A large-scale randomized clinical trial comparing robotic and conventional NSM has recently begun in Korea; therefore, it is necessary to wait for these results for more insight into oncological outcomes. Although the level of experience and skill required for robotic mastectomy may not be easily achieved by all surgeons, the learning curve for RNSM appears manageable and can be overcome with appropriate training and practice. Training programs and standardization efforts will help improve the overall quality of RNSM. There are some advantages to RNSM. The robotic system provides improved precision and accuracy, helping remove breast tissue more effectively. RNSM has advantages such as smaller scars, less blood loss, and a lower rate of surgical complications. Patients who undergo RNSM report better quality of life.

Time-Sequencing of the Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio to Predict Prognosis of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Since triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) have varying prognoses, it is important to identify subgroups with particularly poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to assess whether changes in the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) during the treatment process were associated with poor prognosis in TNBC patients. This study included 600 TNBC patients who underwent surgery from January 2005 to December 2016. The associations of the NLR and clinicopathologic factors with breast cancer recurrence and survival in patients who underwent both definitive local treatment (total mastectomy or breast-conserving surgery with radiotherapy) and systemic chemotherapy were analyzed. The NLRs at four time points (before surgery, before chemotherapy, before radiotherapy, and 1 year after surgery) were assessed. The univariate analysis showed that changes in the NLR before the start of radiotherapy (odds ratio: 1.115, confidence interval: 1.011-1.229) and 1 year after surgery (odds ratio: 1.196, confidence interval: 1.057-1.354) significantly increased the risk of recurrence or death. In multivariate analysis, T stage, N stage, and changes in the NLR were significant factors. A time-sequenced NLR may reflect the prognosis of TNBC patients. A poor prognosis is expected in patients whose NLR increases during treatment compared to the preoperative NLR, and additional treatment is needed.

Analysis of BRCA1/2 variants of unknown significance in the prospective Korean Hereditary Breast Cancer study.

Genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 is crucial in diagnosing hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndromes and has increased with the development of multigene panel tests. However, results classified as variants of uncertain significance (VUS) present challenges to clinicians in attempting to choose an appropriate management plans. We reviewed a total of 676 breast cancer patients included in the Korean Hereditary Breast Cancer (KOHBRA) study with a VUS on BRCA mutation tests between November 2007 and April 2013. These results were compared to the ClinVar database. We calculated the incidence and odds ratios for these variants using the Korean Reference Genome Database. A total of 58 and 91 distinct VUS in BRCA1 and BRCA2 were identified in the KOHBRA study (comprising 278 and 453 patients, respectively). A total of 27 variants in the KOHBRA study were not registered in the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism database. Among BRCA1 VUSs, 20 were reclassified as benign or likely benign, four were reclassified as pathogenic or likely pathogenic, and eight remained as VUSs according to the ClinVar database. Of the BRCA2 VUSs, 25 were reclassified as benign or likely benign, two were reclassified as pathogenic or likely pathogenic, and 33 remained as VUS according to the ClinVar database. There were 12 variants with conflicting interpretations of pathogenicity for BRCA1 and 18 for BRCA2. Among them, p.Leu1780Pro showed a particularly high odds ratio. Six pathogenic variants and one conflicting variant identified using ClinVar could be reclassified as pathogenic variants in this study. Using updated ClinVar information and calculating odds ratios can be helpful when reclassifying VUSs in BRCA1/2.

Axillary sparganosis, changes in ultrasound images over six months: A case report.

Sparganosis is an infestation caused by a tapeworm belonging to the genus Spirometra. The typical radiologic findings of sparganosis describe elongated, folded, band or tubular, hypoechoic structures with surrounding increased echogenicity in ultrasonography. These imaging features have been highly consistent with pathology results. Here, we report an interesting case of axillary sparganosis that manifested changes on ultrasound images over a period of 6 months.

The Prognostic Value of 18F-FDG Uptake in the Supraclavicular Lymph Node (N3c) on PET/CT in Patients With Locally Advanced Breast Cancer With Clinical N3c.

PURPOSE: We investigated the prognostic value of F-FDG uptake in the supraclavicular lymph node (SCLN) on PET/CT in breast cancer patients with clinical ipsilateral SCLN metastasis (cN3c). METHODS: Fifty-five female patients with initial F-FDG PET/CT were treated with curative intent. For semiquantitative analysis, the SUVmax of the primary tumor, axillary lymph node, and SCLN were normalized by the SUVmean of the liver (defined as SUVR-tumor, SUVR-axillary lymph node, and SUVR-SCLN, respectively). Cox proportional hazards models were used to predict disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Differences in DFS and OS were assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients (41.8%) experienced recurrence, and 13 (23.6%) died during follow-up (median, 70.0 months; range, 6-128 months). In multivariate analysis, SUVR-tumor greater than 3.26 (hazards ratio, 7.26; 95% confidence interval, 1.58-33.31; P = 0.01) and SUVR-SCLN greater than 1.05 (hazards ratio, 8.47; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-65.87; P = 0.04) were prognostic for OS. No clinicopathologic or PET/CT parameters were prognostic for DFS. The patients were divided into 3 groups: group 1 (n = 11, SUVR-tumor ≤3.26 and SUVR-SCLN ≤1.05); group 2 (n = 27, SUVR-tumor >3.26 or SUVR-SCLN >1.05); and group 3 (n = 17, SUVR-tumor >3.26 and SUVR-SCLN >1.05). The 5-year OS rates were 100% in group 1, 85.2% in group 2, and 51.0% in group 3. Group 3 showed worse prognosis than group 1 (P < 0.01) and group 2 (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In addition to SUVR-tumor, SUVR-SCLN seemed to play an important role in selecting patients with the worst prognosis.

Establishment of chemosensitivity tests in triple-negative and BRCA-mutated breast cancer patient-derived xenograft models.

PURPOSE: A patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model is an in vivo animal model which provides biological and genomic profiles similar to a primary tumor. The characterization of factors that influence the establishment of PDX is crucial. Furthermore, PDX models can provide a platform for chemosensitivity tests to evaluate the effectiveness of a target agent before applying it in clinical trials. METHODS: We implanted 83 cases of breast cancer into NOD.Cg-Prkdcscid Il2rgtm1Sug/Jic mice, to develop PDX models. Clinicopathological factors of primary tumors were reviewed to identify the factors affecting engraftment success rates. After the establishment of PDX models, we performed olaparib and carboplatin chemosensitivity tests. We used PDX models from triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and/or germline BRCA1 mutations in chemosensitivity tests. RESULTS: The univariate analyses (p<0.05) showed factors which were significantly associated with successful engraftment of PDX models include poor histologic grade, presence of BRCA mutation, aggressive diseases, and death. Factors which were independently associated with successful engraftment of PDX models on multivariate analyses include poor histologic grade and aggressive diseases status. In chemosensitivity tests, a PDX model with the BRCA1 L1780P mutation showed partial response to olaparib and complete response to carboplatin. CONCLUSIONS: Successful engraftment of PDX models was significantly associated with aggressive diseases. Patients who have aggressive diseases status, large tumors, and poor histologic grade are ideal candidates for developing successful PDX models. Chemosensitivity tests using the PDX models provide additional information about alternative treatment strategies for residual TNBC after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Gasless Robot-Assisted Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy: A Case Report.

Robotic surgical systems enhance surgical accuracy and efficiency by applying advanced technologies such as artificial arm joints to provide higher degrees of freedom of movement and high-quality three-dimensional images. However, the application of robotic surgical systems to breast surgery has not been widely attempted. The robotic system would improve cosmesis by enabling surgery using a single small incision. We report the first case of a gasless robot-assisted nipple-sparing mastectomy and immediate reconstruction in a patient with early breast cancer.

Association between Changes in Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels and Survival in Patients with Breast Cancer Receiving Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: We investigated the changes in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) and the associations with pathologic complete response (pCR) and survival in patients with breast cancer. METHODS: Serum 25(OH)D concentrations were measured pre- and post-NCT in 374 patients between 2010 and 2013. Based on a cutoff of 20 ng/mL, patients were categorized into "either sufficient" or "both deficient" groups. The associations with clinicopathological data, including pCR and survival, were analyzed using multivariable analyses. RESULTS: Patients with either pre- or post-NCT sufficient 25(OH)D levels accounted for 23.8%, and the overall pCR rate was 25.9%. Most patients showed 25(OH)D deficiency at diagnosis and 65.8% showed decreased serum levels after NCT. Changes in 25(OH)D status were associated with postmenopause status, rural residence, baseline summer examination, and molecular phenotype, but not pCR. No association between survival and 25(OH)D status was found, including in the subgroup analyses based on molecular phenotypes. CONCLUSION: Most Korean patients with breast cancer showed vitamin D deficiency at diagnosis and a significant decrease in the serum concentration after NCT. No association with oncologic outcomes was found. Therefore, although optimal management for vitamin D deficiency is urgent for skeletal health, further research is warranted to clearly determine the prognostic role of vitamin D in patients with breast cancer who are candidates for NCT.

Does the type of anesthesia really affect the recurrence-free survival after breast cancer surgery?

BACKGROUND: Although previous studies have suggested that propofol inhibits cancer recurrence and metastasis, the association between anesthetic agents and the recurrence of breast cancer has not been clearly investigated. We compared total intravenous anesthesia and balanced anesthesia with volatile agents to investigate the differences in their effects on recurrence-free survival and overall survival after breast cancer surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The electronic medical records of 2,729 patients who underwent breast cancer surgery between November 2005 and December 2010 were retrospectively reviewed to analyze the factors associated with recurrence-free survival after surgery. Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify the risk factors for cancer recurrence and overall mortality after breast cancer surgery. RESULTS: Data from 2,645 patients were finally analyzed. The recurrence-free survival rate in this study was 91.2%. Tumor-node-metastasis staging exhibited the strongest association with breast cancer recurrence. However, we were unable to identify significant differences between the preventive effects of total intravenous anesthesia and those of volatile agents on postoperative breast cancer recurrence using Cox regression analyses and propensity score matching. Furthermore, the survival probability with regard to postoperative recurrence and mortality showed no significant differences among anesthetic agents. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the effects of total intravenous anesthesia are comparable with those of volatile agents with regard to postoperative recurrence-free survival and overall survival in patients with breast cancer.