Breast cancer in 80+ year olds.

INTRODUCTION: The risk of breast cancer increases with increasing age. The aim of our retrospective study was to determine the extent of breast and axillary surgery, including subsequent adjuvant therapy, in 80-year and older patients. METHODS: Between 2017 and 2021, 834 breast cancer patients were operated in the Surgical Department of the EUC Clinic. Ninety-eight women (2× with bilateral cancer) and 2 men were included in this retrospective study. A total of 102 breast cancer cases in patients older than 80 years were analyzed. The surgical procedure corresponded to the stage of the disease and the general condition of the patient. Adjuvant systemic therapy was indicated according to the same principles. RESULTS: At the time of surgery, the patients were more than 80 years old (80-96 years). The predominant type of invasive ductal carcinoma was diagnosed 83×, lobular carcinoma 6×, mucinous 6×, papillary carcinoma 4×, other 3×, with luminal A, B predominating (89×). The breast-conserving procedures were performed 63×. Sentinel node biopsy was performed 65×, supplemented by axillary lymph node dissection 13×. Primary axillary lymph node dissection was performed 15×. No axillary procedure was performed 23×. Radiotherapy was given 49×, chemotherapy 9× and hormonal therapy 82×. Local and regional recurrences were each observed 2×. A total of 37 patients died, 10 of them from breast cancer. CONCLUSION: The most common cause of death in patients aged 80+ years is a cardiovascular disease, not breast cancer itself. This fact should be taken into account when determining the treatment plan.

Extent of surgical procedure in triple negative breast carcinomas.

INTRODUCTION: Triple negative breast carcinomas (TNBC) account for approximately 15-20% of all breast carcinomas. This subtype is characterised by an unfavourable prognosis with early locoregional recurrence a metastases. Only few studies have focused on the impact of local surgery on the overall therapeutic outcome. However, decisions are difficult to make in the case of TNBC, and no particular molecular subtype or marker exists that would make the decision-making process easier. The aim of our retrospective study was to analyse the TNBC surgical management outcomes at EUC Clinic in Zlin. METHODS: 440 women with breast carcinoma were operated on at EUC Clinic from 2014 to 2016, including 29 patients with TNBC; bilateral carcinoma was present in one case. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) was indicated in 6 cases. The tumour centre was marked with a clip. The extent of surgery depended on the residual size of the tumour. Sentinel lymph node biopsy was indicated in clinically negative lymph nodes; further management followed the Z0011 study if the biopsy was positive. Axillary lymph node dissection was performed after NAC. In all cases, surgery was followed by systemic chemotherapy, and by radiotherapy in the case of breast-conserving procedures. RESULTS: The group included 29 women and one patient with bilateral carcinoma, i.e. 30 cases of TNBC. Mean age was 57 years and median age was 55.5 years. Mean follow-up was 62.9 months, with the median of 69.9 month. NAC was indicated in 6 patients; complete pathological response was achieved in one case. NAC was followed by mastectomy in 5 cases including a bilateral procedure in one case, and by breast-conserving surgery in one case. Axillary dissection was performed in all cases. Breast-conserving surgery and sentinel node biopsy predominated in the group (16 cases). Local recurrence was observed in 4 cases, 2 times as an isolated local recurrence after one year and 2 times as part of generalization, always after mastectomy. Six patients died of generalized disease. No regional recurrence was observed. CONCLUSION: TNBC is characterised by a worse prognosis and a higher rate of local recurrence. As confirmed by our study, the results of breast-conserving surgery can be comparable to those of radical procedures, and thus radical surgery should be indicated prudently.

Ductal carcinoma in situ and the extent of surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a very heterogenous disease. The incidence of DCIS has been increasing with the adoption of mammography screening. This opened new questions concerning surgical and adjuvant therapy.  Methods: We retrospectively observed the incidence of DCIS amongst the patients that underwent surgical resection in EUC clinic Zlín between 2017 and 2019. We also assessed the extent of breast surgery including interventions in axilla and the adjuvant therapy.  Results: There were 616 breast cancer patients, of whom 44 (7.1%) were diagnosed with DCIS. Breast-conserving surgery was performed in 35 (80%) patients. Lumpectomy alone was performed in 21 (47%) patients. Mastectomy was indicated primarily in 9 cases with additional two mastectomies performed to achieve clear margins. All sentinel nodes were negative.  Conclusion: Results confirmed, that the surgical therapy as well as radiotherapy and hormonal treatment are performed according to guidelines at our department. Proportion of sentinel node biopsy is remarkably higher, therefore an improvement in this area is our next goal.

Papillary thyroid microcarcinoma and papillary thyreoid cancer at the Department of Surgery, EUC Clinic Zlín.

INTRODUCTION: Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), especially micropapillary variant (MPTC), is the most common thyroid malignancy. Biological behavior is not aggressive and the patients prognosis is satisfactory. The objective of our comparative retrospective study was to evaluate whether the incidence is rising in the Region of Zlín and if less extensive approach was adopted by Czech endocrinologists. METHODS: We compared 2 groups from years 2005-2008 and 2014-2018. The incidence of thyroid cancer, the PTC and the MPTC, the extent of the surgery and the lymphadenectomy, number of removed lymph nodes and the number of positive lymph nodes were observed. RESULTS: We gathered 1353 patients in group 1. We found 220 malignancies (16.3%), 180 (81.8%) were PTC with MPTC variant in 44.4% (80 patients). All patients underwent a total thyroidectomy. We made 18 central and 10 lateral lymphadenectomies, 280 lymph nodes were collected with meta-stasis in 29,3 %. In group 2 with 1569 patients we found 318 (20.3%) carcinomas, PTC in 302 (94.6%) cases. The MPTC accounted for 215 (67.4%) cases. 10 patients with MPTC underwent hemithyroidectomy only. Numbers of central and lateral lymphadenectomies rose to 52 and 24 respectively. We gathered 376 lymph nodes with proven metastasis in 44.4% of these nodes. CONCLUSION: Both, the incidence and the frequency of PTC and MPTC are rising in our region. However, the number of less invasive procedures is not increasing significantly despite representing a sufficient way of treatment. We need wider adoption of these evidence-based recommendations by indicating endocrinologists in the Czech Republic.

[Gastric perforation in a 15-year old girl caused by a massive trichobezoar--Rapunzel syndrome]. / Perforace zaludku patnáctileté dívky, zpusobená objemným trichobezoárem-Rapunzelin syndrom.

A case review of a 15-year old girl, admitted to hospital for acute peritonitis with x-ray signs of GIT perforation. During the surgical procedure, the finding of a massive trichobezoar with gastric perforation and diffuse peritonitis was a surprise. The literature describes this finding as a rare Rapunzel syndrome.

[Personal experience with laser photocoagulation of varicose veins]. / Nase zkusenosti s laserovou fotokoagulací krecových zil.

Based on the published information on the use of operation lasers for endoluminal photocoagulation to seal varices the authors began to use KTP laser in 2001. The cohort included 200 patients operated on in 2002. The cohort was composed of three groups of patients: patients with reticular varices, those with non-saphenous varices and patients with the stem saphenous varices. The intervention was made by a KTP laser, wavelength 532 nm, light-conducting wires of 0.2, 0.3 or 0.6 mm diameter.