Timing of Chemotherapy and Patient-Reported Outcomes After Breast-Conserving Surgery and Mastectomy with Immediate Reconstruction.

INTRODUCTION: Receipt of chemotherapy is associated with decreased satisfaction after breast surgery, but whether timing as adjuvant versus neoadjuvant (NAC) affects patient-reported outcomes (PROs) is unclear. We examined associations between chemotherapy timing and PROs after breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and mastectomy with immediate reconstruction (M-IR). METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study of patients with stage I-III breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy between January 2017 and December 2019, we compared satisfaction with breasts (SABTR) and chest physical well-being (PWB-CHEST) between chemotherapy groups in BCS and M-IR cohorts. Median SABTR and PWB-CHEST scores (scale 0-100) were compared between chemotherapy groups at baseline and for 3 years postoperatively. Factors associated with SABTR and PWB-CHEST at 1 and 2 years were assessed with multivariable linear regression. RESULTS: Overall, 640 patients had BCS and 602 had M-IR; 210 (33%) BCS patients and 294 (49%) M-IR patients had NAC. Following BCS, SABTR was higher than baseline at all postoperative timepoints, whereas 3-year SABTR remained similar to baseline following M-IR, independent of chemotherapy timing. In both surgical cohorts, PWB-CHEST was lowest after NAC at 6 months compared with baseline but was similar to adjuvant counterparts by 3 years. NAC was not a statistically significant predictor of SABTR or PWB-CHEST in either surgical cohort on multivariable analysis. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with breast cancer who require chemotherapy, neoadjuvant versus adjuvant timing does not impact long-term PROs in this study. These findings may inform shared decision making regarding the sequence of treatment in patients with operable disease.

Who Are We Missing: Does Engagement in Patient-Reported Outcome Measures for Breast Cancer Vary by Age, Race, or Disease Stage?

INTRODUCTION: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROM) are used to assess value-based care. Little is known as to whether PROM response in breast cancer reflects the diverse patient population. The BREAST-Q, a validated measure of satisfaction and quality of life, and Recovery Tracker, a postoperative assessment tool, are PROM routinely delivered to all patients undergoing breast surgery at our institution. Here we determine whether response to PROM differs by age, race, language, or disease stage. METHODS: All patients who had a breast operation between January 2020 and July 2021 were requested to complete the BREAST-Q and Recovery Tracker. Non-responders did not complete the PROM at any timepoint; responders completed 1 or more. Primary outcomes included rates of non-response versus response overall. RESULTS: Of 6374 patients identified, 5653 (88.7%) responded to either PROM [4366/4751 (91.9%) BREAST-Q; 2746/3384 (81.1%) Recovery Tracker]. On univariate analysis, non-responders were older (60 years versus 55 years, p < 0.001) and more often non-English speaking (p < 0.001), Hispanic ethnicity (p = 0.031), and Black race (p < 0.001), versus responders. On multivariate analysis, non-responders were significantly more often Black race and non-English speaking (p < 0.001). Non-English speakers were significantly less responsive among all ethnicities and races except Black race. Although breast cancer stage did not reach significance for response, patients with malignant disease and those receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy responded more often. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate high patient engagement using 2 different PROM following breast surgery, but suggest that PROM results may not reflect the experience of the entire breast cancer population. Care process changes based solely on PROM should consider these findings to ensure that the views of the entire spectrum of patients with breast cancer are represented.

Contemporary Cancer Program Practice Profile Report (CP3R) Compliance Rates for Breast Cancer: A National Cancer Database Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The Commission on Cancer (CoC) issues Cancer Program Practice Profile Reports (CP3R) that set standards for high-quality care. Three metrics for breast cancer include radiation within 1 year for women < 70 years of age receiving breast-conserving surgery, radiation within 1 year after mastectomy for women with four or more positive lymph nodes (MASTRT), and hormonal therapy within 1 year of a stage IB-III hormone receptor-positive breast cancer (HT). Our study evaluates national trends in quality metric compliance. METHODS: The National Cancer Database was queried from 2004 to 2014 to identify patients who met the criteria for the three quality metrics. National trends in compliance were compared. RESULTS: Overall, 1,094,264 patients qualified for BCSRT (n = 534,147), MASTRT (n = 66,291), or HT (n = 493,826). In 2014, 91.1% of patients met BCSRT, 88.4% met MASTRT, and 90.7% met HT. BCSRT, MASTRT, and HT compliance rates were lower in community hospitals compared with Integrated Network Cancer Programs (INCP) (BCSRT: 89.0% vs. 92.8%, p < 0.01; MASTRT: 85.5% vs. 90.6%, p < 0.01; HT: 87.3% vs. 93.7%, p < 0.01). On multivariate analysis, patients receiving care at an INCP facility [odds ratio (OR) 1.47, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.37-1.58] and insured patients (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.54-1.87) had higher odds of BCSRT compliance, and minorities (OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.73-0.80) had lower odds. Similar results were seen for MASTRT and HT. CONCLUSION: In more recent years, overall compliance rates for breast cancer quality metrics of BCSRT and HT by Comprehensive Community Cancer Programs, Academic/Research Programs, and INCPs have increased to meet the 90% CoC standards, while MASTRT has regressed. Community programs were least compliant with meeting the CoC standards.

Comparison of Multiple Wire, Radioactive Seed, and Savi Scout® Radar Localizations for Management of Surgical Breast Disease.

BACKGROUND: Radioactive seed localization (RSL) and the Savi Scout® radar (SSR) are newer alternatives to wire-guided localization (WL) for nonpalpable breast lesions. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare three localization devices when multiple devices were used for preoperative localization for breast surgery. METHODS: Between July 2017 and July 2018, 68 patients had a partial mastectomy (n = 54) or breast biopsy (n = 14) with preoperative image-guided localization using multiple wires or device placement for nonpalpable lesions. Operative timing, outcomes, and 30-day complications were evaluated. RESULTS: Overall, 41 patients (60%) had WL, 11 patients (16%) had RSL, and 16 patients (24%) had SSR localization. Fifty-four patients (79.4%) had localization of two lesions and 13 patients (19.1%) had localization of three lesions. Twenty-three patients (33.8%) had a lesion that was bracketed. There was no difference in retained biopsy clip among the groups (average 7.4%; p = 0.962). For operations performed in the hospital, there was no difference in operative time among the groups, with a median of 77.5 min (p = 0.705) or total perioperative time of 508 min (p = 0.210). Among operations with delayed start times, there was a longer average delay of 95.5 min in WL, compared with 42 min in SSR (p = 0.004). A greater volume of tissue was excised in the WL group (29.5 g WL vs. 15.9 g RSL vs. 12.1 g SSR; p = 0.022). There was no difference in positive margin rate and 30-day complications among groups. CONCLUSION: SSR and RSL can be used to localize multiple breast lesions, with no difference in positive margin rates or complications and less tissue excised compared with WL.

Alterations in Breast Cancer Biomarkers Following Neoadjuvant Therapy.

INTRODUCTION: Biomarker changes in patients with residual disease (RD) after neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NAT) have unclear consequences. This study examined the prevalence of biomarker [hormone receptor (HR) and HER2] change and its effect on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 303 patients treated with NAT from 2008 to 2016 were identified from a prospective database. Biomarker status at diagnosis was determined and retested after NAT in patients with RD. DFS and OS were compared among three groups: no biomarker change, clinically insignificant change in either ER or PR without alteration in HR status, and clinically significant change in at least one biomarker with resultant change in HR or HER2 status. Subgroups with no change and HR change were examined [HR+HER2- no change, triple negative (TN) no change, HR+HER2- to TN, TN to HR+HER2]. RESULTS: Overall, 61.4% of patients had RD. Of these, 32.8% had changes in at least one biomarker. At median follow up of 5.48 years, no biomarker change was associated with improved DFS compared with changes in HR or HER2 status (p = 0.043). In addition, no biomarker change (p = 0.005) and clinically insignificant changes in biomarker status (p = 0.019) were associated with improved OS compared with clinically significant changes in HR or HER2 status. Among subgroups, HR+HER2- to TN was associated with worse DFS (p = 0.029) and OS (p = 0.008) compared with HR+HER2- no change. CONCLUSIONS: Among those with RD, biomarker status change was common and impacted survival in subgroups of HR+ or TN disease. Retesting biomarkers after NAT has prognostic implications.

Comparison of multiple oncotype DX® from the same patient.

For women with breast cancer in whom multiple Oncotype DX® Recurrence Scores (RS) are obtained, RS concordance utilizing current NCCN recommendations has not been evaluated. Patients with two or more RS were identified. RS were stratified by NCCN guidelines and compared for concordance. Twenty-four patients were evaluated. RS concordance varied by tumor type: 100% in the same tumor, 91.7% in multiple ipsilateral tumors, 71.4% in contralateral tumors, and 66.7% in in-breast recurrent tumors. RS concordance for multiple assays in the same patient is not high enough to omit Oncotype DX® testing for each tumor.

Incidental radiologic findings in breast cancer patients who undergo staging prior to neo-adjuvant chemotherapy.

NCCN guidelines discourage the use of staging imaging for newly diagnosed patients with early breast cancer (BC). When performed, incidental radiologic findings of uncertain significance are often encountered. The purpose of this study was to compare incidental findings seen on staging imaging with distant recurrence in patients undergoing neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). 396 patients with BC who had NAC from 2008 to 2016 were identified from a prospectively maintained data base. Staging imaging was reviewed. Of 396 patients with BC treated with NAC, patients with a positive PET/CT for metastatic disease (n = 36, 9.1%), those that did not undergo staging imaging (n = 49, 12.4%), or those that did not have a reported incidental finding (n = 49, 12.4%) were excluded from analysis. Of the 262 patients who met criteria, mean age was 50 years (range: 26-88). 201 (76.7%) patients had stage I-II cancer, and 61 (23.3%) patients had stage III cancer. Overall, 146 (55.7%) patients had an incidental finding on imaging. 90 (34.4%) patients had one finding, 42 (16.0%) patients had two, and 14 (5.3%) patients had three or more findings. The majority of incidental findings were seen in the ovary/uterus (29.7%), followed by lung (18.4%), liver (10.3%), and bone (9.0%). 5 (3.4%) patients had additional imaging performed. At mean follow-up of 3.7 years (range: 0.7-10.8), 43 (15.6%) patients had a distant recurrence. Of these patients, only 5 (1.9%) patients had distant metastasis in the same organ that was initially thought to be an incidental finding. Our results suggest that breast cancer patients with incidental findings on preoperative staging imaging are unlikely to be indicative of sites for future metastasis.

Gene expression comparison between primary estrogen receptor-positive and triple-negative breast cancer with paired axillary lymph node metastasis.

The aim of this study is to characterize and compare changes in gene expression patterns of paired axillary lymph node (ALN) metastases from estrogen receptor (ER)-positive and triple-negative (TNBC) primary breast cancer (PBC). Patients with stage 2-3 PBC with macrometastasis to an ALN were selected. Gene expression of 2567 cancer-associated genes was analyzed with the HTG EdgeSeq system coupled with the Illumina Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) platform. Changes in gene expression between ER/PR-positive, HER2-negative PBC, and their paired ALN metastases were compared with TNBC and their paired ALN metastases. Fourteen pairs of ER-positive and paired ALN metastasis were analyzed. Compared with the PBC, ALN metastasis had 673 significant differentially expressed genes, including 348 upregulated genes and 325 downregulated genes. Seventeen pairs of TNBC and paired ALN metastasis were analyzed. ALN metastasis had 257 significant differentially expressed genes, including 123 upregulated genes and 134 downregulated genes. When gene expression of the ALN for ER-positive PBC was compared to that of TNBC, 97 genes were upregulated in both, and 115 genes were similarly downregulated. Common upregulated genes were associated with cell death, necrosis, and homeostasis. Common downregulated genes were those of migration, degradation of extracellular matrix, and invasion. Although ER-positive PBC and TNBC have a distinct gene expression profiles and distinct changes from PBC to ALN metastases, a significant number of genes are similarly up- or downregulated. Understanding the role of these common genomic changes may provide clues to understanding the metastatic process itself.

Impact of the extent of pathologic complete response on outcomes after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: With advances in systemic therapies for breast cancer, responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) have increased. Pathologic complete response (pCR) after NAC is an independent prognostic factor. We examined the impact of breast and/or lymph node (LN) pCR on survival. METHODS: From a prospectively maintained database, 202 women were identified with LN-positive breast cancer who underwent NAC then surgery. Clinicopathologic factors and survival were compared between four groups: breast/LNs pCR, node-only pCR, breast-only pCR, and residual disease (RD). RESULTS: Forty-eight (23.8%) patients had breast/LNs pCR, 43 (21.3%) node-only pCR, 5 (2.5%) breast-only pCR, and 106 (52.5%) had RD. There was no difference in age, stage, or breast operation between groups. With a median follow-up of 48.2 months, patients with any pCR had improved disease-free survival (DFS) (HR, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.157-0.572) and OS (HR, 0.192; 95% CI, 0.057-0.652) compared with RD patients. There were no significant differences in DFS (log-rank P = .18) and OS (log-rank P = 0.12) between patients with node-only pCR, breast-only pCR, and breast/LNs pCR. CONCLUSION: In node-positive breast cancer patients receiving NAC, any pCR was associated with improved survival vs RD. The anatomic site of pCR did not impact survival. This suggests that any favorable response to NAC has prognostic value.

Utilization of BioZorb implantable device in breast-conserving surgery.

BioZorb fiducial marker is an implantable device made of six clips to mark the surgical site of tissue removal in three dimensions. The marker facilitates focused radiation therapy, while allowing for tissue ingrowth during the healing process with resorption by the body overtime. Current literature investigating the use of the BioZorb is limited and focused on its value for radiation treatment. Our objective was to investigate the feasibility and surgical complications associated with the BioZorb in breast-conserving surgery. From April 2015 to June 2018, 89 patients who underwent 91 partial mastectomies with planned adjuvant radiation therapy and placement of the BioZorb. Demographics, type of BioZorb used, complication rate, and postoperative examinations were analyzed. A total of 89 patients who were a median age of 59 years (range 34-84) underwent 91 operations with BioZorb placement-86.8% underwent a partial mastectomy (n = 79), and 13.2% underwent a breast wide re-excision for margins at the time of BioZorb placement (n = 12). Of the 79 partial mastectomies, 21.5% (n = 17) were palpable tumors. Location of the tumor and subsequent BioZorb placement was most often in the upper outer quadrant (40.7%), followed by upper inner (27.5%), lower outer (20.9%), and lower inner quadrants (10.9%). 92.3% (n = 84) had a single BioZorb placed, 5.5% (n = 5) had two BioZorbs placed in a single lumpectomy cavity, and 2.2% (n = 2) had two BioZorbs placed in separate lumpectomy cavities of the same breast. Of the 10 different tissue marker sizes used, a 2 × 3 cm BioZorb was most commonly used (37/98, 37.8%), followed by 3 × 4 cm (25/98, 25.5%) and 1 × 3 × 2 (9/98, 9.2%). A total of five patients underwent immediate bilateral breast reduction following placement of the BioZorb. Of the 91 operations, 22 patients had a subsequent reoperation for positive margins after initial placement of the BioZorb, of which 86.4% retained the BioZorb. During these reoperations, only 1 patient had the BioZorb removed due to discomfort (4.5%) and two had it removed due to subsequent mastectomy (9.1%). At a median time of 1.1 years, the BioZorb continued to be palpable on clinical breast examination in 63.6% of patients. The longest time that the BioZorb continued to be palpable was 2.8 years. Additional imaging was ordered because a clinician palpated a mass, unaware it was the BioZorb 8.8% of the time (n = 8). Thirty-day complications include 3.3% of patients with an infection requiring antibiotics (n = 3) and 2.2% with an abscess requiring aspiration and antibiotics without removal of the BioZorb. One patient had migration of the BioZorb from the breast to the axilla which resulted in surgical explant at 9 months post-op. BioZorb is feasible to use in breast-conserving surgery with few short- and long-term complications, but will result in a palpable mass that may persist for more than 1 year. Explantation is rare.

Comparison of wire localization, radioactive seed, and Savi scout® radar for management of surgical breast disease.

BACKGROUND: Radioactive seed localization (RSL) and the Savi scout® radar (SSR) are newer alternatives to wire-guided localization (WL) for nonpalpable breast lesions. OBJECTIVE: To compare three types of localization devices used in breast conserving surgery. METHODS: A total of 293 patients had a partial mastectomy (n = 194) or breast biopsy (n = 99) with preoperative image-guided localization of a single nonpalpable lesion between July 2017 to July 2018. Lesions were localized by WL, RSL, or SSR. Although all operations performed were outpatient, due to workflow differences at our institution, operations performed in the hospital operating rooms were defined as "hospital setting." Operations performed at an outpatient surgery facility without the capacity to admit patients were defined as "ambulatory." Delay in operating room start times and total perioperative times in both the hospital and ambulatory setting, localization time, explant of localization device, positive margins, volume of tissue excised, and 30-day complications were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 126 patients (43%) had WL; 59 patients (20%) had RSL; and 108 patients (37%) had SSR localization. SSR localization took longer to perform with an average time of 19 minutes, compared with 15 minutes for WL and 14 minutes for RSL (P = .020). In 93.52% of cases, the first specimen contained both the clip and localization device, which was similar among groups (P = .073). There was no difference in retained biopsy clip among the groups (average 3.4%, P = .173). For operations performed in the hospital, the time from patient arrival to the preoperative area and incision was significantly longer in the WL group with a median of 233 minutes (range 56-486), 130 minutes (range 64-294) in RSL, and 108 minutes (range 59-240) for SSR (P < .001). There was no difference in operative time among the groups with a median of 51 minutes (range 17-122) (P = .108). There was, however, significantly longer perioperative time of 469 minutes (range 210-926) in the WL group compared with 399 minutes (range 240-871) for RSL and 381 minutes (range 232-711) for SSR (P ≤ .001). For the ambulatory setting, although there was no difference in operating time among the groups (median 50 minutes, range 18-127, P = .715), only the RSL showed a decreased perioperative time compared to WL (WL 356 vs RSL 275, P < .001; SSR 279, p = NS). A total of 131 patients (44.7%) had same day localizations. Among operations with delayed start times, there was a longer average delay of 85 minutes (range 1-304) for WL group compared with 69 minutes (range 13-219) in RSL and 53 minutes (range 0-228) in SSR (P < .001). There was no difference among the three groups in positive margin rate, volume of tissue excised, and 30-day complications. CONCLUSION: Nonwire localization devices are associated with reduced overall perioperative time compared to wire localization, with few complications.

Flat epithelial atypia on core needle biopsy does not always mandate excisional biopsy.

Flat Epithelia Atypia (FEA) is a proliferative lesion of the breast where cells demonstrate columnar change and cytologic atypia. This lesion has been identified as distinct from the classic atypical hyperplasias (AH). While many patients undergo excisional biopsy, management of FEA identified on core needle biopsy (CNB) is controversial, and the rate of associated ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) or invasive cancer is not well defined. The aim of this study was to determine the upstage rate of FEA diagnosed by CNB. We identified patients from a prospectively maintained data base who had FEA diagnosed by CNB from 01/2010 to 07/2015. Patient variables collected included age at presentation, imaging findings, pathologic findings following surgical excision, and subsequent development of breast cancer. Of 132 patients, 62 (n = 62/132, 47.0%) patients had FEA associated with DCIS and invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) on CNB and were excluded from analysis. Of the remaining 70 patients, median age was 52 (range 31-84) years. Thirty-two (45.7%) patients had FEA plus AH, 4 (5.7%) patients had FEA plus lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS), and 34 (48.6%) patients had FEA alone or with another non-pathologic finding (pure FEA). Two (6.3%) patients with FEA plus AH had DCIS or IDC on subsequent excisional biopsy. Of the 34 patients with pure FEA who underwent excisional biopsy, only one (2.9%) was found to have IDC. Twenty-two (64.7%) patients with pure FEA who underwent excisional biopsy presented with calcifications on mammography. None of these patients had cancer on excisional biopsy, and 10 (45.5%) patients had AH (3 ADH, 3 ALH, and 4 both ALH and ADH). Twelve (n = 12/34, 35.3%) patients with pure FEA underwent CNB for a mass or asymmetry noted on imaging. Of these 12 patients, 9 (75.0%) had benign findings on excisional biopsy, two (16.7%) patients had AH, and one (8.3%) patient had IDC. Median follow-up was 4.6 years (IQR 3.1-6.5 years). Three (4.3%) patients subsequently developed IDC, two of which were in the contralateral breast. FEA is often found in combination with ADH and ALH as well as carcinoma on CNB. In our study, pure FEA was upstaged to cancer in only 2.9% of patients. Mammographic findings unlikely predict upstaging to malignancy. These findings suggest that excisional biopsy may not be warranted in patients with pure FEA and could be managed with close imaging surveillance.

Gene expression comparison between primary triple-negative breast cancer and paired axillary and sentinel lymph node metastasis.

Few studies examine the genomics of axillary lymph node (ALN) metastasis in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The aim was to characterize and compare gene expression patterns of primary breast cancers and paired ALN metastases. Patients with stage 2-3 ER/PR negative, HER2 negative TNBC with ALN macrometastasis without neo-adjuvant therapy were selected. Tumor-specific area was isolated from breast and ALN tissue sections. Gene expression of 2567 cancer-associated genes was analyzed with the HTG EdgeSeq system coupled with Illumina next-generation sequencing (NGS). Seventeen pairs of TNBC and autologous ALN metastasis were analyzed. Compared with the primary, ALN metastasis had 257 statistically significant differentially expressed genes, including 123 upregulated genes and 134 downregulated genes. Notably, there was an upregulation of anti-apoptosis and survival signaling genes (BIRC3, TCL1A, FLT3, and VCAM1) in the ALN metastasis. There was also an upregulation of chemotaxis genes (CCL19, CCL21, CXCL13, and TNFSF11). The most striking feature is the downregulation of genes known to regulate cell microenvironment interaction (MMP2, MMP 3, MMP 7, MMP 11, MMP14, COL1A1, COL1A2, COL3A1, COL5A1, COL5A2, COL6A6, COL11A1, and COL17A1). In TNBC, ALN metastases have a distinct gene expression profile. Genes associated with anti-apoptosis, survival responses, and chemotaxis are upregulated, and genes associated with regulation of extracellular matrix are downregulated when compared to autologous primary cancer. TNBC cells metastatic to lymph nodes undergo a change in order to metastasize and survive in the new microenvironment, which may lead to insights into the metastatic process.

Patterns in the Use of Axillary Operations for Patients with Node-Positive Breast Cancer After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: A National Cancer Database (NCDB) Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG) Z1071 and Sentinel Neoadjuvant (SENTINA) trials of sentinel node biopsy for node-positive breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) demonstrated false-negative rates that varied on the basis of surgical technique. This study evaluated trends in axillary operations before and after publication of these trials. METHODS: This study analyzed patients from National Cancer Database (NCDB) with clinical T0 through T4, N1 and N2, M0 breast cancer who received NAC from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2015 and sentinel lymph node biopsy (SNB) or axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). The patients were divided into the following groups: SNB, ALND, and (SNB + ALND). RESULTS: Of the 32,036 evaluable patients identified in this study. 5565 had SNB, 19,930 had ALND, and 6541 had SNB + ALND. Compared with the ALND group, the SNB group was younger, had more invasive ductal cancers, and had lower clinical T- and N-stage disease (p < 0.001). The patients in the SNB group had a higher rate of estrogen receptor-positive and triple-negative breast cancers, but a lower rate of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive cancer (p < 0.001). The nodal pathologic complete response (PCR) rate, defined as no residual invasive cancer, was 66.5% in the SNB group and 33.1% in the ALND group. Since 2013, the rate of ALND has decreased from 88.7 to 77.1% in both community and academic institutions (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Since publication of the ACOSOG Z1071 and SENTINA trials, the national rates of ALND in node positive breast cancer treated with NAC have decreased despite reported false-negative SNB rates and lack of prospective outcome data regarding the oncologic safety of ALND omission.

Overuse of Preoperative Staging of Patients Undergoing Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Guidelines of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), and the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) discourage the use of imaging to stage newly diagnosed early breast cancer (stages 1 and 2). This study aimed to evaluate preoperative staging imaging rates among patients with stage 1 or 2 breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). METHODS: From a prospectively maintained database, 303 patients with stage 1 or 2 breast cancer who had NAC from 2008 to 2016 were identified. The main outcome measures were the rate and outcomes of staging imaging performed. RESULTS: The mean age of the 303 patients with stage 1 or 2 breast cancer was 51 years (range, 26-87 years). Of these 303 patients, 278 (92.4%) had invasive ductal cancer. 90 (30.2%) had estrogen receptor (ER)-positive disease, 79 (26.5%) had triple-negative disease, and 127 (42.6%) had human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive disease. Staging positron emission tomography (PET) or computed tomography (CT) scan was performed for 258 patients (85.2%), brain imaging for 94 patients (31%), bone scans for 117 patients (38.6%), and all three for 48 patients (15.8%). As a result, 15 patients (4.9%) with a positive PET/CT scan were upstaged to stage 4 breast cancer. No difference was observed among the ER-positive (p = 1.000), HER2-positive (p = 0.259), or triple-negative (p = 0.369) receptor profiles of the patients upstaged to stage 4 disease. One patient (1.1%) had positive brain imaging. Five patients (4.3%) had a positive bone scan, and three of these patients (60%) had bone metastasis also shown on the PET/CT scan. CONCLUSION: Despite guideline recommendations, a high rate of preoperative staging imaging is completed for patients with clinical stage 1 or 2 breast cancer who receive NAC, with few positive results.