Post-diagnostic statin use and breast cancer-specific mortality: a population-based cohort study.

PURPOSE: Statins are the most widely prescribed cholesterol lowering medications and have been associated with both improved and unchanged breast cancer outcomes in previous studies. This study examines the association between the post-diagnostic use of statins and breast cancer outcomes (death and recurrence) in a large, representative sample of New Zealand (NZ) women with breast cancer. METHODS: Women diagnosed with a first primary breast cancer between 2007 and 2016 were identified from four population-based regional NZ breast cancer registries and linked to national pharmaceutical data, hospital discharges, and death records. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the hazard of breast cancer-specific death (BCD) associated with any post-diagnostic statin use. RESULTS: Of the 14,976 women included in analyses, 27% used a statin after diagnosis and the median follow up time was 4.51 years. Statin use (vs non-use) was associated with a statistically significant decreased risk of BCD (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.74; 0.63-0.86). The association was attenuated when considering a subgroup of 'new' statin users (HR: 0.91; 0.69-1.19), however other analyses revealed that the protective effect of statins was more pronounced in estrogen receptor positive patients (HR: 0.77; 0.63-0.94), postmenopausal women (HR: 0.74; 0.63-0.88), and in women with advanced stage disease (HR: 0.65; 0.49-0.84). CONCLUSION: In this study, statin use was associated with a statistically significant decreased risk of breast cancer death, with subgroup analyses revealing a more protective effect in ER+ patients, postmenopausal women, and in women with advanced stage disease. Further research is warranted to determine if these associations are replicated in other clinical settings.

Post-diagnostic beta blocker use and breast cancer-specific mortality: a population-based cohort study.

PURPOSE: Beta blockers (BB) have been associated with improved, worsened, or unchanged breast cancer outcomes in previous studies. This study examines the association between the post-diagnostic use of BBs and death from breast cancer in a large, representative sample of New Zealand (NZ) women with breast cancer. METHODS: Women diagnosed with a first primary breast cancer between 2007 and 2016 were identified from four population-based regional NZ breast cancer registries and linked to national pharmaceutical data, hospital discharges, and death records. The median follow-up time was 4.51 years. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the hazard of breast cancer-specific death (BCD) associated with any post-diagnostic BB use. RESULTS: Of the 14,976 women included in analyses, 21% used a BB after diagnosis. BB use (vs non-use) was associated with a small and nonstatistically significant increased risk of BCD (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.11; 95% CI 0.95-1.29). A statistically significant increased risk confined to short-term use (0-3 months) was seen (HR = 1.40; 1.14-1.73), and this risk steadily decreased with increasing duration of use and became a statistically significant protective effect at 3 + years of use (HR = 0.55; 0.34-0.88). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that any increased risk associated with BB use may be driven by risk in the initial few months of use. Long-term BB use may be associated with a reduction in BCD.

Metastatic relapse of stage I-III breast cancer in New Zealand.

PURPOSE: This study aims to investigate the factors that influence the risk of metastatic relapse in women presenting with stage I-III breast cancer in New Zealand. METHODS: The study included women diagnosed with stage I-III breast cancer. Cumulative incidence of distant metastatic relapse was examined with the Kaplan-Meier method by cancer stage and subtype. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the adjusted hazard ratio of developing recurrent metastatic breast cancer by cancer stage and biomarker subtype after adjustment for other factors. RESULTS: A total of 17,543 eligible women were identified. The 5-year cumulative incidence of metastatic recurrence was 3.7% for stage I, 13.3% for stage II and 30.9% for stage III disease. The adjusted hazard ratios (HR) of stage II and stage III breast cancer developing metastatic disease were 2.07 and 4.82 compared to stage I. The adjusted risk of distant metastatic relapse was highest for luminal B HER2- cancers (adjusted HR: 1.59 compared to luminal A disease). Higher grade cancers were associated with a higher risk of metastases. After adjustment, women aged 60-69 years and Asian women had the lowest risk of distant metastatic relapse. CONCLUSIONS: The prognosis of women with locally invasive breast cancer differs greatly with the chance of developing metastatic disease depending on the stage of disease at diagnosis and the subtype. Grade of disease at diagnosis was also important. Maori or Pacific ethnicity did not influence the risk of developing metastatic disease, although Asian women seemed less likely to develop metastases.

Doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide-induced parotitis: A case report.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Drug-induced parotitis is a rare adverse drug reaction (ADR). A comprehensive literature review identified only three clearly associated medications: L-asparaginase, clozapine and phenylbutazone. CASE DESCRIPTION: We describe a novel case of drug-induced parotitis attributed to doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide chemotherapy for breast cancer. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: Using general and parotitis-specific tools for assessing the probability of an ADR, we estimate the association of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide with parotitis in this case as 'probable'. To our knowledge, this represents the first reported case of parotitis attributable to these medications and provides a valuable learning tool for the assessment of previously unrecognized ADRs.

Obesity and breast cancer outcomes in chemotherapy patients in New Zealand - a population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Obesity has been reported as an adverse prognostic factor in breast cancer, but inconsistently, and under-treatment with chemotherapy may occur. We provide the first assessment of obesity and breast cancer outcomes in a population-based, multi-ethnic cohort of New Zealand patients treated with chemotherapy. METHODS: All 3536 women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in the Waikato region of New Zealand from 2000-2014 were registered and followed until last follow-up in specialist or primary care, death or Dec 2014; median follow-up 4.1 years. For the 1049 patients receiving chemotherapy, mortality from breast cancer, other causes, and all causes, and rates of loco-regional and of distant recurrence, were assessed by body mass index (BMI), recorded after diagnosis, adjusting for other clinico-pathological and demographic factors by Cox regression. RESULTS: BMI was known for 98% (n=1049); 33% were overweight (BMI 25-29.9), 21% were obese (BMI 30-34.9), and 14% were very obese (BMI 35+). There were no significant associations between obesity and survival, after adjustment for demographic and clinical factors (hazard ratios, HR, for very obese compared to BMI 21-24, for breast cancer deaths 0.96 (0.56-1.67), and for all deaths 1.03 (0.63-1.67), respectively, and only small non-significant associations for loco-regional or metastatic recurrence rates (HR 1.17 and 1.33 respectively). Subgroup analyses by age, menopausal status, ethnicity, stage, post-surgical radiotherapy, mode of diagnosis, type of surgery, and receptor status, showed no associations. No associations were seen with BMI as a continuous variable. The results in all patients irrespective of treatment but with recorded BMI data (n=2296) showed similar results. CONCLUSIONS: In this population, obesity assessed post-diagnosis had no effect on survival or recurrence, based on 1049 patients with chemotherapy treatment with follow-up up to 14 years.

Influence of comorbidity on chemotherapy use for early breast cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Patients with early breast cancer and coexistent comorbidities generally experience worse prognosis which may be in part related to inferior treatment. Randomised data on chemotherapy use and tolerance in comorbid patients are limited. We aimed to review the available literature regarding the use of chemotherapy in such patients. METHODS: A systematic search of databases was performed for English-language articles evaluating the impact of comorbidity on chemotherapy use for early breast cancer. Comorbidity was assessed as a specific condition, summary count or index. Outcomes of interest were receipt of chemotherapy, change in chemotherapy delivery and occurrence of toxicity. RESULTS: Sixty studies met inclusion criteria for systematic review. Thirty-three studies evaluated receipt of chemotherapy, with 19 reporting reduced treatment, particularly with higher levels of comorbidity. Meta-analysis of 10 eligible studies returned odds ratios (OR's) of 0.88 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.80-0.96] and 0.63 (95% CI 0.49-0.80) for receipt of chemotherapy by patients with comorbidity scores of 1 and ≥2, respectively, compared with no comorbidity. Comorbidity had a generally adverse impact on the quality of chemotherapy delivery, although outcomes were heterogeneous. Toxicity was greater in patients with comorbidity, with 10 out of 13 studies reporting greater odds of toxicity or hospitalisation during chemotherapy. Meta-analysis of three studies addressing chemotherapy-associated hospitalisation produced OR's of 1.42 (95% CI 1.20-1.67) and 2.23 (95% CI 1.46-3.39) for comorbidity scores of 1 and ≥2, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with their non-comorbid counterparts, comorbid patients with early breast cancer receive less quality adjuvant chemotherapy and experience greater toxicity.

Treatment and survival disparities by ethnicity in New Zealand women with stage I-III breast cancer tumour subtypes.

PURPOSE: This study aims to look at the distribution of different subtypes of stage I-III breast cancer in Maori and Pacific versus non-Maori/Pacific women, and to examine cancer outcomes by ethnicity within these different subtypes. METHOD: This study included 9,015 women diagnosed with stage I-III breast cancer between June 2000 and May 2013, recorded in the combined Waikato and Auckland Breast Cancer Registers, who had complete data on ER, PR and HER2 status. Five ER/PR/HER2 subtypes were defined. Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model were used to examine ethnic disparities in breast cancer-specific survival. RESULTS: Of the 9,015 women, 891 were Maori, 548 were Pacific and 7,576 others. Both Maori and Pacific women were less likely to have triple negative breast cancer compared to others (8.6, 8.9 vs. 13.0%). Pacific women were more than twice as likely to have ER-, PR- and HER2+ cancer than Maori and others (14.2 vs. 6.0%, 6.7%). After adjustment for age, year of diagnosis, stage, grade and treatment, the hazard ratios of breast cancer-specific mortality for Maori and Pacific women with ER+, PR+ and HER2- were 1.52 (95% CI 1.06-2.18) and 1.55 (95% CI 1.04-2.31) compared to others, respectively. Maori women with HER2+ cancer were twice more likely to die of their cancer than others. CONCLUSIONS: Outcomes for Maori and Pacific women could be improved by better treatment regimens especially for those with HER2+ breast cancer and for women with ER+, PR+ and HER2- breast cancer.

Ethnic differences in timely adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy for breast cancer in New Zealand: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Indigenous and/or minority ethnic women are known to experience longer delays for treatment of breast cancer, which has been shown to contribute to ethnic inequities in breast cancer mortality. We examined factors associated with delay in adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy for breast cancer, and its impact on the mortality inequity between Indigenous Maori and European women in New Zealand. METHODS: All women with newly diagnosed invasive non-metastatic breast cancer diagnosed during 1999-2012, who underwent adjuvant chemotherapy (n = 922) or radiation therapy (n = 996) as first adjuvant therapy after surgery were identified from the Waikato breast cancer register. Factors associated with delay in adjuvant chemotherapy (60-day threshold) and radiation therapy (90-day threshold) were analysed in univariate and multivariate models. Association between delay in adjuvant therapy and breast cancer mortality were explored in Cox regression models. RESULTS: Overall, 32.4% and 32.3% women experienced delays longer than thresholds for chemotherapy and radiotherapy, respectively. Higher proportions of Maori compared with NZ European women experienced delays longer than thresholds for adjuvant radiation therapy (39.8% vs. 30.6%, p = 0.045) and chemotherapy (37.3% vs. 30.5%, p = 0.103). Rural compared with urban residency, requiring a surgical re-excision and treatment in public compared with private hospitals were associated with significantly longer delays (p < 0.05) for adjuvant therapy in the multivariate model. Breast cancer mortality was significantly higher for women with a delay in initiating first adjuvant therapy (hazard ratio [HR] =1.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05-2.01). Mortality risks were higher for women with delays in chemotherapy (HR = 1.34, 95% CI 0.89-2.01) or radiation therapy (HR = 1.28, 95% CI 0.68-2.40), although these were statistically non-significant. CONCLUSIONS: Indigenous Maori women appeared to experience longer delays for adjuvant breast cancer treatment, which may be contributing towards higher breast cancer mortality in Maori compared with NZ European women. Measures to reduce delay in adjuvant therapy may reduce ethnic inequities and improve breast cancer outcomes for all women with breast cancer in New Zealand.

Does diabetes affect breast cancer survival?

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to investigate the influence of diabetes on breast cancer-specific survival among women with breast cancer in Aotearoa/New Zealand. METHODS: This study included women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between 2005 and 2020, with their information documented in the Te Rehita Mate Utaetae-Breast Cancer Foundation National Register. Breast cancer survival curves for women with diabetes and those without diabetes were generated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The hazard ratio (HR) of breast cancer-specific mortality for women with diabetes compared to women without diabetes was estimated using the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: For women with diabetes, the 5-year and 10-year of cancer-specific survival were 87% (95% CI: 85%-88%) and 79% (95% CI: 76%-81%) compared to 89% (95% CI: 89%-90%) and 84% (95% CI: 83%-85%) for women without diabetes. The HR of cancer-specific mortality for patients with diabetes compared to those without diabetes was 0.99 (95% CI: 0.89-1.11) after adjustment for patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and treatments. Age at cancer diagnosis and cancer stage had the biggest impact on the survival difference between the two groups. When stratified by cancer stage, the cancer-specific mortality between the two groups was similar. CONCLUSIONS: While differences in survival have been identified for women with diabetes when compared to women without diabetes, these are attributable to age and the finding that women with diabetes tend to present with more advanced disease at diagnosis. We did not find any difference in survival between the two groups due to differences in treatment.

6th and 7th International consensus guidelines for the management of advanced breast cancer (ABC guidelines 6 and 7).

This manuscript describes the Advanced Breast Cancer (ABC) international consensus guidelines updated at the last two ABC international consensus conferences (ABC 6 in 2021, virtual, and ABC 7 in 2023, in Lisbon, Portugal), organized by the ABC Global Alliance. It provides the main recommendations on how to best manage patients with advanced breast cancer (inoperable locally advanced or metastatic), of all breast cancer subtypes, as well as palliative and supportive care. These guidelines are based on available evidence or on expert opinion when a higher level of evidence is lacking. Each guideline is accompanied by the level of evidence (LoE), grade of recommendation (GoR) and percentage of consensus reached at the consensus conferences. Updated diagnostic and treatment algorithms are also provided. The guidelines represent the best management options for patients living with ABC globally, assuming accessibility to all available therapies. Their adaptation (i.e. resource-stratified guidelines) is often needed in settings where access to care is limited.

T(14;18)(q32;q21) involving MALT1 and IGH genes occurs in extranodal diffuse large B-cell lymphomas of the breast and testis.

Primary B-cell lymphoma of the testis, breast and thyroid are rare and data concerning cytogenetic aberrations at these extranodal sites are scarce. We examined the presence of extranodal marginal zone lymphoma-associated translocations, t(11;18)(q21;q21), t(1;14)(p22;q32), t(14;18)(q32;q21), t(3;14)(p14.1;q32) and numerical aberrations of chromosomes 1, 3, 12 and 18 by fluorescence in situ hybridization in 6 extranodal marginal zone lymphomas and 24 diffuse large B-cell lymphomas with (n=9) or without (n=15) marginal zone lymphoma components, with primary localizations in the breast (n=15), testis (n=9) and thyroid (n=6). We found t(14;18)(q32;q21), with breakpoints in IGH and MALT1, in one testicular diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and in two diffuse large B-cell lymphomas of the breast. No other translocations, amplifications or deletions involving IGH, BCL-10, BCL-2, MALT1 and IAP2 were detected. Numerical aberrations occurred in 67% of the lymphomas, 67% of extranodal marginal zone lymphomas, 56% of diffuse large B-cell lymphomas with marginal zone lymphoma components and in 73% of 'de novo' diffuse large B-cell lymphomas. These included 78% of testis, 67% of thyroid and 60% of breast lymphomas, and included mainly trisomy 18 (n=16), trisomy 3 (n=8) and trisomy 1 (n=3). One testicular diffuse large B-cell lymphoma harbored both t(14;18)(q32;q21) and trisomy 3. Our results indicate that at least a few cases of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the testis and the breast belong to the spectrum of extranodal marginal zone lymphoma.

What affects the public healthcare costs of breast cancer in New Zealand?

BACKGROUNDS: The pressure to the healthcare system for providing ongoing monitoring and treatment for breast cancer survivors is increasing. This study aims to identify the factors that affect the public healthcare costs of stage I-III breast cancer and stage IV cancer in New Zealand. METHODS: We identified women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2018 and who received services in a public hospital. Patients were identified from the National Breast Cancer Register and/or New Zealand Cancer Registry and were linked to the national administrative datasets. A two-part model was used to identify the factors that affect the public healthcare costs of stage I-III breast cancer and stage IV cancer. RESULTS: We identified 16,977 stage I-III and 1,093 stage IV breast cancer patients eligible for this study. The costs of stage I-III cancer in the second to fifth year post diagnosis decreased over time, and the costs of stage IV cancer in the first year post diagnosis increased over time. After adjustment for other factors, the costs of stage I-IV cancer decreased with age but increased with cancer stage. HER2+ cancers had the highest costs, followed by triple negative cancers. After adjustment for other factors, Pacific and Asian women had lower costs, and Maori had similar costs compared to others. For stage I-III cancers, women living in nonmajor urban areas had a higher chance of incurring costs in follow-up years, and screen detected patients and patients having any services in a private hospital had a decreased probability of receiving any public healthcare services. CONCLUSIONS: Pacific women had higher costs than others, but after adjustment for cancer stage, subtype, and other factors, they had lower costs than others. The early detection and better management of stage I-III breast cancer can lead to better outcome and lower costs in follow-up years.

Differences in Breast Cancer Costs by Cancer Stage and Biomarker Subtype in New Zealand.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer requires the greatest expenditure among all cancer types, and the costs vary by cancer stage and biomarker status. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the differences in public healthcare costs of breast cancer in New Zealand by stage and subtype. METHOD: This study included patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between 1 July 2010 and 30 June 2018 and receiving services in public hospitals. These patients were identified from the National Breast Cancer Register and/or New Zealand Cancer Registry. Linking with the Pharmaceutical Collection, National Minimum Dataset, National Non-Admitted Patient Collection, and Mortality Collection, we estimated the median public healthcare costs of breast cancer by cancer stage and biomarker subtype. RESULTS: We identified 22,948 eligible patients. The median costs of breast cancer increased with stage of disease, from $NZ26,930 for stage I disease to $NZ50,388 for stage IV disease. The median costs for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) disease were three times those for HER2-negative (HER2-) disease: $NZ106,428 for HER2+ cancers compared with$NZ28,481 for oestrogen receptor-positive (ER+)/HER2- cancers and $NZ31,722 for triple negative disease. Over 55% of the costs for HER2+ breast cancers were targeted therapy costs. For HER2- cancers, surgery incurred the biggest cost, followed by radiotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Treating patients with early-stage breast cancer is less costly than treating those with metastatic disease. The costs vary considerably between the subtypes. Patients with HER2+ cancer incurred three times the costs of those with HER2- cancers. These results provide baseline costing data for clinicians and policy makers when considering new targeted treatments.

Impact of menopausal status on risk of metastatic recurrence of breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Menopausal status at diagnosis is an important factor for the management of breast cancer in younger women, and may affect the prognosis for these women. We aim to examine the association of menopausal status and risk of metastatic relapse for stage I-III breast cancer. METHODS: We included women diagnosed with stage I-III breast cancer at 45 to 55 years in the Auckland and Waikato Breast Cancer Registers. Cumulative incidence of metastatic relapse was examined by age group and by menopausal status after stratifying by estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) status. Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the adjusted hazard ratio of metastatic relapse by menopausal status after adjustment for age, ethnicity, year of diagnosis, socioeconomic status, public/private hospital treatment, mode of detection, cancer stage, grade and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status. RESULTS: We have identified 5,309 eligible women: 2,799 premenopausal, 929 perimenopausal, and 1,581 post-menopausal. There was significant difference in risk of metastatic recurrence between menopausal statuses for ER+ and/or PR+ cases, with a 10-year cumulative incidence of 11.2% for premenopausal, 12.4% for perimenopausal, and 15.6% for postmenopausal women. The adjusted hazard ratio of metastatic recurrence for postmenopausal compared to premenopausal women was 1.38 for ER+ and/or PR+ cases. Age did not affect the risk of metastatic relapse for ER+ and/or PR+ cases but affected the risk for ER- and PR- cases with a hazard ratio of 0.94 per year. CONCLUSIONS: Women with earlier age at menopause, and ER+ and/or PR+ stage I-III breast cancer were more likely to develop metastatic breast cancer. Age increased the risk of metastatic relapse for women with ER- and PR- disease, but not for ER+ and/or PR+ cancers.

Use and results of systemic treatments for de novo and recurrent metastatic breast cancer: a population-based cohort study.

AIMS: To describe the systemic treatments in patients with de novo metastatic breast cancer (dnMBC, initial metastatic diagnosis) and recurrent metastatic breast cancer (rMBC). METHODS: Women diagnosed with dnMBC and rMBC in 2010-2017 were identified. Adjusted odds ratios of receiving systemic treatments were estimated by logistic regression model. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratio of breast cancer-specific mortality by treatments. RESULTS: The adjusted odds ratio of having chemotherapy and trastuzumab (for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive (HER2+) disease) for Pacific women was 0.43 and 0.13 compared to European women. Patients receiving chemotherapy had improved survival for HER2+ non-luminal and triple negative metastatic breast cancer (MBC) (hazard ratios: 0.30, 0.66). Those with endocrine therapy was associated with better survival for luminal A and luminal B HER2+ MBC (hazard ratio: 0.25, 0.26). Trastuzumab was associated with superior survival in luminal B HER2+ and HER2+ non-luminal disease (hazard ratio: 0.34, 0.40). CONCLUSIONS: Pacific women with MBC were less likely to receive chemotherapy and trastuzumab than non-Pacific women. Chemotherapy was associated with improved survival in HER2+ non-luminal and triple negative MBC. Endocrine therapy improved survival in luminal A and luminal B HER2+ disease. Trastuzumab was associated with improved survival in luminal B HER2+ and HER2+ non-luminal disease.

Breast cancer costs in New Zealand's public health system.

AIM: This study aims to estimate the mean costs of breast cancer in New Zealand's public health system. METHOD: This study included women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between 1 July 2010 and 30 June 2018 who received services in public hospitals. These patients were identified from the National Breast Cancer Register or the New Zealand Cancer Registry and linked with the Pharmaceutical Collection, National Minimum Dataset, National Non-Admitted Patient Collection and Mortality Collection. RESULTS: 22,948 breast cancer patients were included. The mean public health cost of breast cancer was NZ$44,954 per patient for the period of three months preceding and five years following cancer diagnosis, with the treatment phase accounting for 70% of the cost and the follow-up phase accounting for the remaining 30%. During the treatment phase, surgery costs accounted for the biggest proportion (35%) of the total cost, followed by immunotherapy costs (18%), radiotherapy costs (17%) and costs of diagnostic test, scan and biopsy (16%). The costs decreased substantially with age, from $69,121 for women younger than 45 years old to $23,805 for those aged 80 or over. CONCLUSIONS: The costs of breast cancer in New Zealand's public health system are substantial and have been increasing. However, outcomes of breast cancer have been improving. The results of this study can be used as a baseline of actual costs for comparing the costs of introducing new diagnosis and treatment modalities in the future.

Characteristics and survival of de novo and recurrent metastatic breast cancer in New Zealand.

BACKGROUND: We aim to examine the characteristics and survival of patients with de novo metastatic breast cancer (dnMBC) and recurrent metastatic breast cancer (rMBC) in New Zealand. METHODS: This study included women diagnosed with dnMBC and women who developed rMBC between 2010 and 2017. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to examine cancer-specific survival. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of cancer-specific mortality by ethnicity, age, year of diagnosis, socioeconomic deprivation, site of metastases, number of metastatic sites, biomarker subtype and MBC subgroup. RESULTS: We included 2177 MBC patients (667 dnMBC and 1510 rMBC). The median survival of dn MBC patients was 26 months compared to 18 months for rMBC. There were no differences in breast-cancer specific mortality by ethnicity or socioeconomic deprivation. The adjusted HR for patients with visceral metastases compared to patients with non-visceral metastases was 1.41, and the adjusted HR for triple negative disease compared to Luminal A disease was 2.24. Compared to dnMBC, the adjusted HRs for rMBC patients with a metastatic-free interval of < 2 years, 2-4 years, 5-7 year and 8 + years were 1.81, 1.47, 1.08 and 0.82, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The survival for patients with MBC in New Zealand is very similar to other developed countries. Patients with dnMBC had a much better prognosis than those with recurrent disease. Patients with triple negative disease or non-luminal HER2 positive disease had the worst prognosis. The prognosis for patient with rMBC improved the longer the time from diagnosis to the development of metastases.

Annular erythema as a sign of recurrent breast cancer.

Three women with known breast cancer presented with very similar annular erythemas of their chest walls. All women were in remission from their breast cancer for at least 6 months. Their breast cancers had initially responded well to multi-modality treatment with no clinical or radiologic evidence of recurrence, until the development of the annular erythema. In the first case, the annular erythema was treated unsuccessfully as a dermatitis and then as tinea corporis. In the second case, subacute cutaneous lupus was considered but lupus antibodies were negative. In the third case, the annular erythema was promptly recognized and biopsied. Histology in all three cases revealed identical findings of invasive ductal carcinoma involving the lymphatics of the skin. Immunohistochemical staining of the carcinoma was positive for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 but negative for oestrogen and progesterone receptors. Annular erythema can pose a wide differential but rarely has it been described as a sign of locally recurrent cancer. These cases highlight the importance of recognizing this entity in the oncologic patient, where prompt skin biopsies can confirm the diagnosis and allow early initiation of therapy.

Evidence of inequitable use of chemotherapy in New Zealand colorectal cancer patients.

AIMS: To explore variations in the use of and timeliness of chemotherapy in patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer in New Zealand. METHODS: This study included patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer in New Zealand between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2016. The first chemotherapy regime was identified from Pharmaceutical Collection dataset. Logistic regression model was used to estimate the adjusted odds ratio of having chemotherapy by subgroup after adjustment for other factors. RESULTS: 27.8% (6,737/24,217) of colon cancer patients and 43.8% (3,582/8,170) of rectal cancer patients received publicly funded chemotherapy. The uptake and timeliness of chemotherapy has been improving over time. Pacific people were the least likely to receive chemotherapy, followed by Maori and Asian. Younger patients, New Zealand European, patients with metastatic disease and patients in the Southern Cancer Network were more likely to have chemotherapy in less than 10 weeks post-diagnosis. Over half of the advanced colorectal cancer patients who did not receive chemotherapy were aged 80+ years or had a short life expectancy. CONCLUSIONS: Although the uptake and timeliness of chemotherapy for colorectal cancer has been improving, Maori, Pacific, Asian and older patients were less likely to receive chemotherapy and less likely to receive chemotherapy in a timely manner. There is a variation in use of chemotherapy by Region with patients in the Southern Cancer region appearing to be the most likely to receive chemotherapy and to receive it within a timely period.

Use of Non-Cancer Medications in New Zealand Women at the Diagnosis of Primary Invasive Breast Cancer: Prevalence, Associated Factors and Effects on Survival.

BACKGROUND: Assessing the use of multiple medications in cancer patients is crucial as such use may affect cancer outcomes. This study reports the prevalence of non-cancer medication use at breast cancer diagnosis, its associated factors, and its effect on survival. METHODS: We identified all women diagnosed with primary invasive breast cancer between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2016, from four population-based breast cancer registries, in Auckland, Waikato, Wellington, and Christchurch, New Zealand. Through linkage to the pharmaceutical records, we obtained information on non-cancer medications that were dispensed for a minimum of 90 days' supply between one year before cancer diagnosis and first cancer treatment. We performed ordered logistic regressions to identify associated factors and Cox regressions to investigate its effect on patient survival. RESULTS: Of 14,485 patients, 52% were dispensed at least one drug (mean-1.3 drugs; maximum-13 drugs), with a higher prevalence observed in patients who were older, treated at a public facility, more economically deprived, and screen-detected. The use of 2-3 drugs showed a reduced non-breast cancer mortality (HR = 0.75, 95%CI = 0.60-0.92) in previously hospitalised patients, with other groups showing non-significant associations when adjusted for confounding factors. Drug use was not associated with changes in breast cancer-specific mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Non-cancer medication use at breast cancer diagnosis was common in New Zealand, more prevalent in older and disadvantaged women, and showed no effect on breast cancer-specific mortality, but a reduction in other cause mortality with the use of 2-3 drugs.