NCCN Guidelines® Insights: Breast Cancer Screening and Diagnosis, Version 1.2023.

The NCCN Guidelines for Breast Cancer Screening and Diagnosis provide health care providers with a practical, consistent framework for screening and evaluating a spectrum of clinical presentations and breast lesions. The NCCN Breast Cancer Screening and Diagnosis Panel is composed of a multidisciplinary team of experts in the field, including representation from medical oncology, gynecologic oncology, surgical oncology, internal medicine, family practice, preventive medicine, pathology, diagnostic and interventional radiology, as well as patient advocacy. The NCCN Breast Cancer Screening and Diagnosis Panel meets at least annually to review emerging data and comments from reviewers within their institutions to guide updates to existing recommendations. These NCCN Guidelines Insights summarize the panel's decision-making and discussion surrounding the most recent updates to the guideline's screening recommendations.

The Impact of Breast-Conserving Surgery Re-excision on Patient-Reported Outcomes Using the BREAST-Q.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 14% of women undergoing breast-conserving surgery (BCS) require re-excision to achieve negative margins following the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) and American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) margin guidelines, which may influence patient-reported outcomes (PROs). Few studies have assessed the impact of re-excision on PROs following BCS. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Women with stage 0-III breast cancer undergoing BCS who completed a BREAST-Q PRO measure from 2010 to 2016 were identified from a prospective database. Baseline characteristics were compared between women who underwent one BCS and those who underwent ≥ 1 re-excision surgery for positive margins (R-BCS). Linear mixed models were used to analyze associations between number of excisions and BREAST-Q scores over time. RESULTS: Of 2543 eligible women, 1979 (78%) had one BCS and 564 (22%) had R-BCS. Younger age, lower BMI, surgery pre-SSO Invasive Guidelines issuance, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), multifocal disease, radiation therapy receipt, and endocrine therapy omission were more common in the R-BCS group. Breast satisfaction and sexual well-being were lower in the R-BCS group 2 years postoperatively. There were no differences in psychosocial well-being between groups over 5 years. On multivariable analysis, re-excision was associated with lower breast satisfaction and sexual well-being (p= 0.007 and p= 0.049, respectively), but there was no difference in psychosocial well-being (p= 0.250). CONCLUSIONS: Women with R-BCS had lower breast satisfaction and sexual well-being 2 years postoperatively, but this difference did not remain long term. Psychosocial well-being in women who underwent one BCS were largely comparable over time to the R-BCS group. These findings may help in counseling women who are concerned about satisfaction and quality-of-life outcomes with BCS if re-excision is necessary.

Multi-pilot implementation experiences of patient-centered pathology reports: lessons learned for the advancement of patient-centered tools for cancer decision-making.

PURPOSE: New federal legislation in the United States grants patients expanded access to their medical records, making it critical that medical records information is understandable to patients. Provision of informational summaries significantly increase patient perceptions of patient-centered care and reduce feelings of uncertainty, yet their use for cancer pathology is limited. METHODS: Our team developed and piloted patient-centered versions of pathology reports (PCPRs) for four cancer organ sites: prostate, bladder, breast, and colorectal polyp. The objective of this analysis was to identify common barriers and facilitators to support dissemination of PCPRs in care delivery settings. We analyzed quantitative and qualitative data from pilot PCPR implementations, guided by the RE-AIM framework to explore constructs of reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance. RESULTS: We present two case studies of PCPR implementation - breast cancer and colorectal polyps-that showcase diverse workflows for pathology reporting. Cross-pilot learnings emphasize the potential for PCPRs to improve patient satisfaction, knowledge, quality of shared decision-making activities, yet several barriers to dissemination exist. CONCLUSION: While there is promise in expanding patient-centered cancer communication tools, more work is needed to expand the technological capacity for PCPRs and connect PCPRs to opportunities to reduce costs, improve quality, and reduce waste in care delivery systems.

Genetic Testing Among Patients with High-Risk Breast, Ovarian, Pancreatic, and Prostate Cancers.

BACKGROUND: The National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommends genetic testing in patients with potentially hereditary breast, ovarian, pancreatic, and prostate cancers (HBOPP). Knowledge of genetic mutations impacts decisions about screening and treatment. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of 28,586 HBOPP patients diagnosed from 2013 to 2019 was conducted using a linked administrative-cancer database in the Seattle-Puget Sound SEER area. Guideline-concordant testing (GCT) was assessed annually according to guideline updates. Frequency of testing according to patient/cancer characteristics was evaluated using chi-squared tests, and factors associated with receipt of genetic testing were identified using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Testing occurred in 17% of HBOPP patients, increasing from 9% in 2013 to 21% in 2019 (p < 0.001). Ovarian cancer had the highest testing (40%) and prostate cancer the lowest (4%). Age < 50, female sex, non-Hispanic White race, commercial insurance, urban location, family history of HBOPP, and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) were associated with increased testing (all p < 0.05). GCT increased from 38% in 2013 to 44% in 2019, and was highest for early age at breast cancer diagnosis, TNBC, male breast cancer, and breast cancer with family history of HBOPP (all > 70% in 2019), and lowest for metastatic prostate cancer (6%). CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of genetic testing for HBOPP cancer has increased over time. Though GCT is high for breast cancer, there are gaps in concordance among patients with other cancers. Increasing provider and patient education, genetic counseling, and insurance coverage for testing among HBOPP patients may improve guideline adherence.

Association of HSD3B1 Genotype and Clinical Outcomes in Postmenopausal Estrogen-Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Homozygous inheritance of a single-nucleotide polymorphism (1245A > C) in HSD3B1 results in an adrenal permissive phenotype of increased adrenal steroid precursor conversion to potent androgens. This is associated with poor outcomes in prostate cancer. We hypothesized that inheritance of the HSD3B1 adrenal permissive genotype would similarly negatively impact breast cancer outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Germline HSD3B1 was sequenced in 644 postmenopausal women diagnosed between 2004 and 2015 with stage I-III estrogen receptor-positive (ER+), HER2/neu-negative (HER2-) breast cancer enrolled in a population-based study in western Washington. Primary endpoint was distant metastatic recurrence according to genotype. Secondary endpoint was breast cancer-specific survival. Hazard ratios (HR) were calculated using cause-specific Cox regression accounting for competing risks. RESULTS: Adrenal restrictive genotype (homozygous wild type) was most prevalent (47%), followed by heterozygous (44%) and adrenal permissive (9%). There were no significant differences comparing demographic, tumor, or treatment characteristics apart from higher frequency of adrenal permissive genotype among non-Hispanic white participants (p = 0.04). After accounting for competing risks, the cumulative incidence of distant metastatic recurrence (15 events) was significantly higher among participants with adrenal permissive compared with the adrenal restrictive genotype (HR 4.9, 95% CI 1.32-18.4, p = 0.02). The adrenal permissive genotype was also predictive of breast cancer-specific mortality (HR 3.5, 95% CI 1.27-9.59, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Inheritance of the HSD3B1 adrenal permissive genotype is associated with increased incidence of distant metastasis and higher cause-specific mortality in postmenopausal ER+/HER2- breast cancer. Further research is necessary to understand the effect of excess adrenal androgen metabolism in promoting breast cancer growth and progression.

Risk of Lobular Neoplasia Upgrade with Synchronous Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Atypical lobular hyperplasia (ALH) and classic lobular carcinoma in situ encompass a spectrum of proliferative lesions known as lobular neoplasia (LN). When imaging-concordant and found in isolation on core needle biopsy (CNB), LN infrequently upgrades to carcinoma on surgical excision, and routine excision is not indicated. Upgrade rates in the setting of synchronous carcinoma are not well studied. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with radiology-pathology concordant synchronous LN and separately biopsied ipsilateral (n = 35) or contralateral (n = 15) carcinoma who underwent excision between 2010 and 2021 were retrospectively identified. Frequency of upgrade, to either invasive or in situ carcinoma, was quantified, and factors associated with upgrade were assessed using Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: The median age was 55 (range 33-74) years. The upgrade rate of LN was 6% and not significantly different between ipsilateral (2.9%) and contralateral (13.3%) carcinoma (p = 0.15). All upgraded LN lesions were ALH on CNB and detected as non-mass enhancement on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). No additional disease was demonstrated after excision at the site of the original LN CNB in 22.9% (8 out of 35) of ipsilateral and 13.3% (2 out of 15) of contralateral patients. Upgrade was not associated with family history, menopausal status, imaging modality used to detect LN, or extent of LN on CNB (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate a low upgrade rate (6%) in our study cohort of LN with synchronous ipsilateral or contralateral carcinoma, which suggests that not all LN mandates excision with synchronous carcinoma. Larger, multi-institution studies are needed to validate these findings.

Alcohol consumption, smoking, and invasive breast cancer risk after ductal carcinoma in situ.

PURPOSE: Alcohol is an established risk factor for invasive breast cancer, and women with a prior ductal carcinoma in situ diagnosis are at higher risk of invasive breast cancer than the general population. However, for women with a prior ductal carcinoma in situ diagnosis, few studies have evaluated the association between alcohol and smoking and risk of subsequent invasive breast cancer. METHODS: Utilizing a population-based case-control design nested among women diagnosed with a ductal carcinoma in situ between 1995 and 2013, we compared 243 cases diagnosed with a subsequent invasive breast cancer and 423 individually matched controls never diagnosed with a subsequent breast cancer. RESULTS: Compared with never to occasional drinkers, drinkers consuming at least 7 alcoholic drinks per week on average at ductal carcinoma in situ diagnosis had a higher risk of invasive breast cancer that was borderline significant (OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.01-3.17, P value = 0.04). Smoking was not significantly associated with risk of developing an invasive breast cancer after adjustment for alcohol consumption. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that consuming at least one alcoholic drink per day on average is positively associated with invasive breast cancer for women with a prior ductal carcinoma in situ diagnosis. If confirmed, modulating alcohol consumption could be one strategy for women with a history of ductal carcinoma in situ to impact their risk of invasive breast cancer.

Error Reduction and Diagnostic Concordance in Breast Pathology.

Errors in anatomic pathology can result in patients receiving inappropriate treatment and poor patient outcomes. Policies and procedures are necessary to decrease error and improve diagnostic concordance. Breast pathology may be more prone to diagnostic errors than other surgical pathology subspecialties due to inherit borderline diagnostic categories such as atypical ductal hyperplasia and low-grade ductal carcinoma in situ. Mandatory secondary review of internal and outside referral cases before treatment is effective in reducing diagnostic errors and improving concordance. Assessment of error through amendment/addendum tracking, implementing an incident reporting system, and multidisciplinary tumor boards can establish procedures to prevent future error.

Accuracy of Preoperative Breast MRI Versus Conventional Imaging in Measuring Pathologic Extent of Invasive Lobular Carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) extent is more accurately depicted with preoperative MRI (pMRI) than conventional imaging (mammography and/or ultrasound). METHODS: After IRB approval, we retrospectively identified women with pMRIs (February 2005 to January 2014) to evaluate pure ILC excluding those with ipsilateral pMRI BI-RADS 4 or 5 findings or who had neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Agreement between imaging and pathology sizes was summarized using Bland-Altman plots, absolute and percent differences, and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Rates of underestimation and overestimation were evaluated and their associations with clinical features were explored. RESULTS: Among the 56 women included, pMRI demonstrated better agreement with pathology than conventional imaging by mean absolute difference (1.6 mm versus -7.8 mm, P < 0.001), percent difference (10.3% versus -16.4%, P < 0.001), and ICC (0.88 versus 0.61, P = 0.019). Conventional imaging more frequently underestimated ILC span than pMRI using a 5 mm difference threshold (24/56 (43%) versus 10/56 (18%), P < 0.001), a 25% threshold (19/53 (36%) versus 10/53 (19%), P = 0.035), and T category change (17/56 (30%) versus 7/56 (13%), P = 0.006). Imaging-pathology size concordance was greater for MRI-described solitary masses than other lesions for both MRI and conventional imaging (P < 0.05). Variability of conventional imaging was lower for patients ≥ the median age of 62 years than for younger patients (SD: 12 mm versus 22 mm, P = 0.012). CONCLUSION: MRI depicts pure ILC more accurately than conventional imaging and may have particular value for younger women.

Bisphosphonate Use and Breast Cancer Risk among Women with Ductal Carcinoma In Situ.

Women with a history of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) have an elevated risk of a subsequent invasive breast cancer, but there are few established potentially modifiable factors known to lower this risk. Bisphosphonates are a commonly used treatment for patients with osteoporosis and have been shown to lower risks of recurrence and mortality in patients with invasive breast cancer; however, their use has not previously been investigated within the context of DCIS. Utilizing a population-based nested case-control design, we compared 301 cases of women diagnosed with DCIS and a subsequent breast cancer and 587 individually matched controls (on age, DCIS diagnosis year, primary treatment, histology, grade, and disease-free survival time) who were diagnosed with DCIS but never a subsequent breast cancer. Information on recency and duration of bisphosphonate use was ascertained from patient interviews and medical record reviews. Current users of bisphosphonates had a reduced risk of developing an invasive breast cancer compared with never users [OR = 0.50; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.26-0.99]. Users of bisphosphonates for ≥48 months had a similar reduction in risk (OR = 0.45; 95% CI, 0.24-1.06). This is the first study to document that bisphosphonate use is associated with a lower risk of subsequent invasive breast cancer among women with a history of DCIS. This finding is consistent with the protective effect of bisphosphonates observed in other breast cancer settings. If validated by others, bisphosphonates may be an effective risk-reducing approach with the potential added benefits of its positive impacts on bone health and fracture risk. SIGNIFICANCE: This study finds that bisphosphonate use among women with a history of DCIS is associated with lower risk of subsequent invasive breast cancer, providing a potential preventative approach for this high-risk population.