Clinical characteristics and management of a Greek female patient cohort with breast conserving treatment.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this retrospective single-center study was to examine histopathological characteristics and treatment options in a cohort of Greek female patients treated with breast conserving surgery (BCS) and to evaluate potential predictive factors of breast cancer (BC) local recurrence. METHODS: The clinic's medical records from 1995 up to the end of July 2016 were scanned in order to identify female patients treated with BCS. We recognized 1175 patients who underwent BCS, representing 35.8% of the entire sample (3281 patients). RESULTS: The mean age of the patients enrolled in this study was 54.7 years, with a median follow-up period of 58.5 months. Nine deaths (0.8%) were registered with 5-year overall survival (OS) rate being 100%. Regarding adjuvant therapies, radiotherapy (RT) was assigned to 94.4% of the patients, endocrine therapy to 86.0%, chemotherapy to 51.3%, while all therapies were given simultaneously to 38.3% of the sample patients. Herceptin was administered to 14.1% of the patients. Twenty-eight recurrences (2.4%) with 3 deaths (10.7%) were confirmed. Over all traditional parameters studied, only lymph node status appeared to be statistically correlated with local recurrence (p=0.005). T3 stage can be considered as a hint that this tumor size might be a risk factor of local recurrence. Age at diagnosis seems to be an independent factor of BC local recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: A very low rate of local recurrence (2.4%) was validated which can be attributed to patients being appropriately selected for BCS, who were then enrolled in this study, and to the uniformity of the RT plan.

Impact of Oncotype DX on chemotherapy assignment: a retrospective single-center study on female breast cancer patients.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to determine the Recurrence Score (RS) distribution and its associated risk assessments based on traditional clinicopathologic characteristics in a single-center breast cancer (BC) deriving cohort in Greece, and to evaluate the impact of the RS results on adjuvant treatment decisions applied in this cohort. METHODS: This was a retrospective, single-center study regarding Greek female patients with early-stage breast cancer (ESBC). From 2009 to 2015, 114 cases lacking unanimity in the multidisciplinary breast meeting (MDM) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The RS of the Oncotype DX (ODX) assay was the main outcome. RESULTS: The mean RS in the sample was 16.38 (SD=6.87). RS was positively correlated with Ki-67 (p=0.008). A negative progesterone receptor (PR) was associated with a higher RS (p<0.05). RS was higher for cases of chemotherapy assignment (p<0.001). According to the oncologists' pre-DX assay recommendations, 62.8% of the patients would have been 'wrongly' assigned to chemotherapy, while 14.3% of patients would have not been recommended this treatment even though they should have. The overall chemotherapy recommendation was significantly altered after the ODX RS assay was carried out (p=0.008) and, in the sample, it diminished by 39.5%. CONCLUSIONS: The distribution of the ODX RS in the specific cohort of Greek women is similar to that reported in other geographic regions of the world. Knowledge of the RS resulted in a shift in treatment recommendations towards lower-intensity regimens and in a greatly reduced proportion of chemotherapy recommendations.

Clinical characteristics and management of a Greek female patient cohort with breast ductal carcinoma in situ.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this retrospective single-centre study was to examine the histopathological characteristics of breast ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) lesions in a cohort of Greek female patients and describe our experience regarding the clinical management of the disease. METHODS: The medical records from 1995 up to mid-2014 were scanned in order to trace DCIS cases. One hundred and seventy two patients (6.8% of all breast cancer cases) were diagnosed with pure DCIS and no invasive components; 32.0% underwent a second surgery, mainly due to first surgery positive margins. RESULTS: Age at first surgery ranged from 27 to 79 years (mean±SD 50±11) and median tumor size was 10mm (interquartile range/IQR7equals;12mm). Comedo necrosis (CN) was identified in 28.5% of the cases. The detection of CN was significantly associated with older age at diagnosis, larger tumor size and lower probability of highly differentiated tumors. Radiotherapy (RT) and hormonotherapy (HT) were applied to 44.8% and 63.4% of the patients, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We implemented international practices (surgery, radiotherapy and prophylactic hormonal therapy) to patients diagnosed with DCIS and have observed only two relapses. It is our belief that DCIS requires a multidisciplinary approach and patient-tailored therapy which can potentially contribute to minimization of the local recurrence risk.

The impact of the stromal cell-derived factor-1-3'A and E-selectin S128R polymorphisms on breast cancer.

Breast cancer is prone to metastasis even in early stage disease. Stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) is a chemokine that has been associated with the egress of cancer cells from the primary focus and homing to distant sites, while E-selectin has been implicated in their trans-endothelial migration. This study was performed to evaluate the association between SDF-1-3'A and E-selectin S128R-two polymorphisms associated with enhanced function-and the risk of breast cancer, as well as their influence on breast cancer outcome. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 261 patients and 480 healthy controls using PCR-RFLP. The frequencies for the wild-type (GG), GA and AA genotypes of SDF-1 were 43.7, 45.2, and 11.1 % in patients, and 51.5, 41.3, and 7.3 % in healthy controls, respectively, while the SDF-1-3'A allelic frequency was 33.7 % at patients and 27.9 % at controls. The SDF-1-3'A carrier group of patients and the A allele of SDF-1 were overrepresented among the breast cancer cases (p = 0.04 and 0.02, respectively). For the E-selectin S128R polymorphism, the frequencies for the wild-type (AA), AC and CC genotypes were 58.6, 38.3, and 3.1 % in patients and 63.8, 31.4, and 3.8 % in controls, respectively, while the C allelic frequency was 22.2 % for patients and 19.5 % for controls. The CC genotype was associated with poorer survival. Otherwise, no significant association was detected between examined genotypes and tumor characteristics. Overall, our findings support that the SDF-1-3'A confers increased susceptibility to breast cancer and that the E-selectin S128R CC genotype may be related to poorer prognosis. Investigation in bigger cohorts of patients is warranted.

Lymph node harvesting in colorectal carcinoma specimens.

INTRODUCTION: Adequate lymph node evaluation is an important determinant of prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer. Current guidelines recommend evaluation of at least 12 lymph nodes; however, a significant number of patients fail to meet these criteria. AIM: To investigate the factors that influence adequate recovery and evaluation of lymph nodes in colorectal cancer. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 454 consecutive cases of colorectal cancer surgically treated from September 2000 to September 2006. Univariate and multivariate linear and logistic regression analysis was used to study the effect of various factors in lymph node recovery. RESULTS: The number of lymph nodes retrieved ranged from 0 to 62 with a median of 13 nodes. Overall, 189 (41.6%) patients had fewer than 12 nodes removed. Patient age, tumor stage, location and size were associated with lymph node retrieval. Multivariable regression revealed that the aforementioned variables, including gender and hospital type, explained 17% of the observed variance of the lymph node number. CONCLUSION: Patient and tumor characteristics, although important, are only partly responsible for the variation of lymph node yield. Quality of surgical resection and/or the thoroughness of examination of the tissue by the pathologist might explain the wider proportion of this variance. Training in colorectal node evaluation could help to improve the quality of cancer care.

Management of malignant and borderline phyllodes tumors of the breast: our experience.

PURPOSE: Phyllodes breast tumors (PT) range from benign lesions to malignant ones that may give distant metastasis. Preoperative diagnosis is difficult, while the treatment of borderline and malignant disease remains controversial. METHODS: Eighteen patients in 3 clinics were included in the study. Lumpectomy with large margins was performed in 15 patients, while mastectomy was performed in 3 patients. Lymph node excision was carried out in 3 patients with malignant tumors. Radiation therapy (RT) was delivered after a second lumpectomy in cases of local recurrence. Chemotherapy was used only in 2 patients with aggressive recurrent tumors. RESULTS: Borderline behavior was reported in 4 patients. Lumpectomy was performed in these cases, with local recurrence in 2 of them. Malignant behavior was reported in 14 patients. Lumpectomy was performed in 10 patients and mastectomy in 3. Local recurrence was reported in 5 cases and in 2 patients recurrence after a 2nd operation was also reported. CONCLUSIONS: Borderline PT were treated conservatively and the prognosis was excellent, while malignant subtypes needed mastectomy in about 25% of the cases, The local recurrence rate was high, but the disease free survival (DFS) and the overall survival (OS) were also very high (94%).

Diagnosing papillary lesions using vacuum-assisted breast biopsy: should conservative or surgical management follow?

BACKGROUND: This study evaluates the underestimation rate of papilloma lesions diagnosed with vacuum-assisted breast biopsy (VABB), taking into consideration the greater volume excised. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 56 women with a diagnosis of a papilloma lesion after VABB (Mammotest; Fischer Imaging, Denver, CO, USA) were evaluated. At least 24 cores were excised in all cases (mean 74, range 24-96 cores) and a preoperative diagnosis was established. Subsequently, open surgery using hook-wire localization followed. A second, postoperative diagnosis was independently and blindly made. The association between the pathological types and Breast Imaging Report and Data System (BI-RADS) classification, as well as the discrepancy between preoperative and postoperative diagnoses, was evaluated. RESULTS: The underestimation rate of papillary lesions was 3.6%. When the papillary lesions did not coexist preoperatively with any other precursor breast lesions, the underestimation rate was 0%. The underestimation rate did not differ with age, BI-RADS category or type of lesion. CONCLUSION: Conservative management of patients with a papillary lesion diagnosis may follow when the extended VABB protocol is adopted and a great tissue volume is excised. However, when diagnosing a coexisting papillary lesion with a precursor breast lesion, open surgery should follow, given the high probability of a postoperative cancer diagnosis.

Management and Outcomes in Metaplastic Breast Cancer.

Metaplastic breast cancer (MBC) constitutes a rare clinical entity with special clinicopathologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular features. Resistance to systemic therapies, whether chemotherapy or hormonal therapy, is among its main characteristics, which in turn explains the poor prognosis and renders its management a challenge. Thus, the scope of the present review is to discuss the current therapeutic strategies for MBC in clinical practice and the corresponding outcomes and to suggest possible directions for future research. Potential novel targeted therapies could provide a hope for better outcomes but limited data are available owing to the rarity of MBC. As knowledge accumulates on the pathogenesis and genetic characteristics of MBC, emphasis should be given to the implementation of more targeted treatments, which will allow more efficient and individualized management of the disease.

Toll-like receptors gene polymorphisms may confer increased susceptibility to breast cancer development.

Toll-like receptor (TLR) activation may be an important event in tumor cell immune evasion. TLR2 and TLR4 gene polymorphisms have been related to increased susceptibility to cancer development in various organs. 261 patients and 480 health individuals were investigated for genotype and allelic frequencies of a 22-bp nucleotide deletion (-196 to -174del) in the promoter of TLR2 gene as well as two polymorphisms causing amino acid substitutions (Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile) in TLR4 gene. As far as (-196 to -174del) in TLR2 gene is concerned ins/del and del/del genotypes and del allele were significantly more frequent in breast cancer patients compared to healthy controls. Considering Asp299Gly replacement of TLR4 gene, Gly carriers (Asp/Gly & Gly/Gly genotype) and Gly allele were overrepresented among the breast cancer cases. The -174 to -196del of TLR2 gene and Asp299Gly of TLR4 gene polymorphisms may confer an increased susceptibility to breast cancer development.

Caspase 9 promoter polymorphisms confer increased susceptibility to breast cancer.

Caspases (CASPs), play a crucial role in the development and progression of cancer. We evaluated the association between two polymorphisms (rs4645978 and rs4645981) of the CASP9 gene and the risk of breast cancer (BC). Genotypes and allelic frequencies for the two polymorphisms were determined in 261 patients with breast cancer and 480 healthy controls. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphisms were used, and statistical significance was determined by the χ(2) test. Carriers of the rs4645978G allele (AG and GG genotypes) were at higher risk for BC than individuals with other genotypes (odds ratio (OR) 1.59, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07-2.37, P = 0.022). The rs4645978GG genotype, in particular, was associated with the highest risk for BC development (OR 2.25, 95% CI 1.45-3.49, P = 0.0003). Similarly, individuals with at least one rs4645981T allele were at a significantly increased risk of developing BC compared with those harboring the CC genotype (OR 2.75, 95% CI 1.99-3.78, P < 0.0001), and the risk of BC increased with increasing numbers of rs4645981T alleles (OR 2.66, 95% CI 1.91-3.69, P < 0.0001 for the CT genotype; OR 3.95, 95% CI 1.58-9.88, P = 0.004 for the TT genotype). The CASP9 promoter polymorphisms rs4645978 and rs4645981 are associated with BC susceptibility and suggest that CASP9 transcriptional regulation is an important factor during BC development.

Breast self-examination and adherence to mammographic follow-up: an intriguing diptych after benign breast biopsy.

This study evaluates the effect of palpability upon breast self-examination (BSE) and adherence to annual mammogram after benign breast biopsy (BBB). Seven hundred and fifty-two women with palpable (WP, n = 359) or nonpalpable (WNP, n = 393) lesions were evaluated 2 years before and after BBB. BSE was considered adequate when it was performed at least once per month, and inadequate when it was performed with a frequency of less than once per month. Prebiopsy/postbiopsy adherence was characterized as inadequate when at least one session of mammographic examination was lost within the 2-prebiopsy/postbiopsy (including the last visit) years, respectively. The prebiopsy frequency of adequate BSE was higher in WP [49 (176 of 359) vs. 38.9% (153 of 393) for WNP; Pearson's chi2 (1) = 7.77, P = 0.005]. However, the opposite happened regarding the prebiopsy adherence to mammogram, as the frequency of adequate adherence was 64.1% (252 of 393) in WNP, but only 46.0% (165 of 359) in WP. After BBB, adherence to mammogram significantly increased in both groups, reaching 76.1% (299 of 393) for WNP and 65.2% (234 of 359) for WP. However, BSE increased significantly only in WNP. Regarding the WP group, the postBBB BSE did not exhibit any significant change. Noticeably, the aforementioned increase in BSE among WNP resulted in the disappearance of the initial WP-WNP discrepancy regarding BSE; the postBBB BSE did not differ between WP and WNP. However, concerning adherence to mammogram, the superiority of WNP versus WP persisted (76.1 vs. 65.2%, respectively). In conclusion WP and WNP may perceive BBB differently, as reflected upon the differentially modified patterns.