Vacuum-assisted excision: a safe minimally invasive option for benign phyllodes tumor diagnosis and treatment-a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Synopsis: This is a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing surgical excision with percutaneous ultrasound-guided vacuum-assisted excision (US-VAE) for the treatment of benign phyllodes tumor (PT) using local recurrence (LR) as the endpoint. Objective: To determine the frequency of local recurrence (LR) of benign phyllodes tumor (PT) after ultrasound-guided vacuum-assisted excision (US-VAE) compared to the frequency of LR after surgical excision. Method: A systematic review and meta-analysis [following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) standard] was conducted by comparing LR in women older than 18 years treated for benign PT by US-VAE compared with local surgical excision with at least 12 months of follow-up. Studies were retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase. The pooled effect measure used was the odds ratio (OR) of recurrence. Results: Five comparative prospective or retrospective observational studies published between January 1, 1992, and January 10, 2022, comparing surgical excision with percutaneous US-VAE for LR of benign PT met the selection criteria. Four were retrospective observational cohorts, and one was a prospective observational cohort. A total of 778 women were followed up. Of them, 439 (56.4%) underwent local surgical excision, and 339 (43.6%) patients had US-VAE. The median age of patients in the five studies ranged from 33.7 to 39 years; the median size ranged from 1.5 cm to 3.0 cm, and the median follow-up ranged from 12 months to 46.6 months. The needle gauge ranged from 7G to 11G. LR rates were not statically significant between US-VAE and surgical excision (41 of 339 versus 34 of 439; OR 1.3; p = 0.29). Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggests that using US-VAE for the removal of benign PT does not increase local regional recurrence and is a safe minimally invasive therapeutic option. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42022309782.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Digital Breast Tomosynthesis Added to Synthetic Mammography in Breast Cancer Screening in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Literature meta-analysis results show that digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) combined with synthesized two-dimensional (s2D) mammograms can reduce recalls and improve breast cancer detection. Uncertainty regarding the screening of patients with breast cancer presents a health economic challenge, both in terms of healthcare resource use and quality of life impact on patients. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to estimate the cost effectiveness of DBT + s2D versus digital mammography (DM) used in a biennial breast cancer screening setting of women aged 40-69 years with scattered areas of fibroglandular breast density and heterogeneous dense breasts in the Brazilian supplementary health system. METHODS: A cost-effectiveness analysis was performed on the basis of clinical data obtained from a systematic review with meta-analysis performed to evaluate the analytical validity and clinical utility of DBT + s2D compared with DM. The search was conducted in the PubMed, Cochrane Library and Embase databases, with the main descriptors of the technology, a comparator, and the clinical condition in question, on 9 June 2022. The hybrid economic model (decision tree plus Markov model) simulated costs and outcomes over a lifetime for women aged 40-69 years with scattered areas of fibroglandular breast density and heterogeneous dense breasts. We analyzed incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) to measure the incremental cost difference per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) of adding DBT + s2D to breast cancer screening. RESULTS: DBT + s2D incurred a cost saving of € 954.02 per patient, in the time horizon of 30 years, compared with DM, and gained 5.1989 QALYs, which would be considered a dominant intervention. These results were confirmed in sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION: Switching from DM to biennial DBT + s2D was cost effective. Furthermore, reductions in false-positive recall rates should also be considered in decision making.

Extremely brief mindfulness interventions for women undergoing breast biopsies: a randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: Mindfulness-based programs can reduce stress and help practitioners to have positive attitudes in their daily lives. This randomized controlled trial evaluated the impact of brief Mindfulness interventions on quantitative and qualitative stress parameters in patients undergoing imaging-guided breast biopsies. METHODS: Eighty-two women undergoing percutaneous imaging-guided breast biopsy were randomized into two groups: MBI group or standard care group. One week before the biopsy procedure, on the waiting room and during the biopsy procedure, the MBI group was exposed to mindfulness techniques and the standard care group received supportive dialogue from the biopsy team. Participants completed questionnaires measuring depression, anxiety and stress, demographics, and medical history, besides evaluating their pain experience through a visual analogue scale for pain and had their systolic and diastolic blood pressure, initial and final temperate, heart rate, oxygen saturation, and salivary cortisol measured. RESULTS: Participation in the mindfulness intervention group was associated with reduced levels of perceived stress, blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation compared to participation in the standard care group (P values < 0.05). No difference was observed regarding salivary cortisol levels, peripheral temperature, and pain perception between the two studied groups. CONCLUSION: Results indicate that an extremely brief mindfulness intervention is a feasible intervention, suggesting that Mindfulness-based programs may be beneficial to reduce discomfort in acutely stressful settings.

A regionalização da saúde e a assistência aos usuários com câncer de mama / Health regionalization and assistance to users with breast cancer

Resumo O câncer (ou neoplasia maligna), apesar de ser uma patologia conhecida há séculos, tem ocupado posição de destaque nos estudos referentes à saúde por todo o mundo, pois se tornou um problema de saúde pública, devido ao caráter epidêmico com que tem se apresentado. Este trabalho tem por objetivo discutir a regionalização da saúde em Minas Gerais, relacionando-a com a assistência aos usuários com câncer de mama dos municípios que compõem a Região Ampliada de Saúde Norte (RAS Norte). Os procedimentos metodológicos consistiram em revisão bibliográfica, pesquisa documental e registros iconográficos. A RAS Norte é composta por 86 municípios divididos em nove regiões de saúde, sendo Montes Claros a cidade-polo que oferece os serviços ambulatoriais e hospitalares de alta complexidade para o tratamento do câncer e que recebe toda a demanda de usuários oncológicos da região. A população atingida pelo câncer de mama na região enfrenta problemas relacionados com o acesso aos serviços de saúde, principalmente no que se refere à acessibilidade, como percorrer grandes distâncias com péssimas condições das estradas para tratarem a doença. Percebe-se que a regionalização da saúde em Minas Gerais é um processo ainda em construção que deve ser revisto constantemente, a fim de se atingir uma gestão eficiente dos serviços de saúde.

Abstract Cancer (or malignancy), despite being a well known disease for centuries, has occupied a prominent position in the studies regarding health throughout the world, because it has become a public health problem, due to its epidemic character. This work aims to discuss the health regionalization in Minas Gerais relating this to the assistance to breast cancer patients of the municipalities that compose the Extended Region of Northern Health (RAS North). The methodological procedures consisted of literature review, document search and iconographic records. RAS North comprises 86 municipalities, divided into nine health regions, and Montes Claros is the main city to offer outpatient and hospital services of high complexity for cancer treatment, and receives all the demand for oncology patients in the region. The people of RAS North diagnosed with breast cancer face many problems, such as accessibility to health services, like traveling great distances with poor road conditions to receive medical treatment. It can be observed that health regionalization in Minas Gerais is a process under construction that should be constantly revised to achieve efficient management of health services.

N-acetylglucosaminidase, myeloperoxidase and vascular endothelial growth factor serum levels in breast cancer patients.

Inflammatory cells surround breast carcinomas and may act promoting tumor development or stimulating anti-tumor immunity. N-acetylglucosaminidase (NAG) has been employed to detect macrophage accumulation/activation. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is considered a marker for neutrophils activity/accumulation. Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) is as strong pro-angiogenic cytokine. The aim of this study was to measure the systemic inflammatory response by measuring serum levels of NAG, MPO and VEGF in women diagnosed with breast cancer and associate this response to the peritumoral inflammatory infiltrate and to prognostic factors. Serum samples obtained from women with no evidence of disease (n=31) and with breast cancer (n=68) were analyzed for the activities of NAG, MPO and VEGF by enzymatic assay. Serum levels of NAG and VEGF were higher in healthy volunteers (P<0.0001) and serum levels of MPO were higher in patients with breast cancer (P=0.002). Serum levels of NAG were positively correlated to serum levels of MPO and VEGF (P<0.0001 and P=0.0012, respectively) and MPO and VEGF serum levels had also a positive correlation (P=0.0018). The inflammatory infiltrate was not associated to serum levels of the inflammatory markers, and higher levels of MPO were associated to lymphovascular invasion negativity (P=0.0175).

Avaliação da resposta inflamatória em mulheres com câncer de mama / Inflammatory response evaluation in women with breast cancer

As células inflamatórias estão presentes no câncer de mama e podem promover o desenvolvimento do tumor assim como estimular imunidade anti-tumoral. A Nacetilglucosaminidase (NAG) é utilizada para detectar o acúmulo/ativação de macrófagos teciduais. A mieloperoxidase (MPO) é considerada marcador de acúmulo/ativação de neutrófilos. O Fator de Crescimento Endotelial Vascular (VEGF) é potente citocina pró-angiogênica. O objetivo deste estudo foi medir a resposta inflamatória sistêmica, medindo os níveis séricos de MPO, NAG, e VEGF em mulheres diagnosticadas com câncer de mama e associar esta resposta ao infiltrado inflamatório peritumoral e a fatores prognósticos. As amostras de soro obtidas de mulheres sem evidências de doenças (n=31) e com câncer de mama (n=68) foram analisadas por meio de ensaio enzimático para obter-se a atividade de MPO, NAG, e VEGF. Os níveis séricos de NAG e VEGF foram maiores em voluntários saudáveis (p<0,0001) e os níveis séricos de MPO foram maiores em pacientes com câncer de mama (p=0,002). Os níveis séricos de NAG apresentaram correlação positiva com os níveis séricos de MPO e VEGF (p<0,0001 e p=0,0012, respectivamente), assim como os níveis de MPO e VEGF (p=0,0018). O infiltrado inflamatório não foi associado aos níveis séricos dos marcadores inflamatórios, e níveis mais elevados de MPO foram associados à negatividade para invasão linfovascular (p=0,0175)...