Population-based study: breast cancer mortality trend in women in the state of Paraná from 2000 to 2017

Objective: Breast cancer is one of the main challenges in Brazilian public health due to the high associated mortality. Mortality has different patterns according to age group, usually increasing with age. The demographic stability in Paraná, with the growth of the elderly population, has a direct impact on the epidemiology of this disease. This study aimed to assess, on a population-based basis, the rates and trends of mortality from breast cancer among the age groups of women in the state of Paraná from 2000 to 2017. Methods: A statistical descriptive retrospective series study was carried out to analyze, on a population-based basis, the trend in breast cancer mortality rates among the age groups of women in the state of Paraná, from 2000 to 2017. The trend analysis of annual mortality rates was carried out through the software and simple linear regression models. Results: The population-based analysis showed that women aged 45­54 and 55­64 years had the highest number of deaths during the study period. However, when calculating the mortality rates by age group, it was observed that the mortality pattern increases proportionally to the longevity of the female population in the state. Trend analyses indicated an upward trend in mortality among women aged 25­34 years throughout the study period. The same trend was observed in women aged 35­44 years, but in a shorter period, from 2005 to 2017. Conclusion: Mortality rates, per 100,000 women, were directly proportional to age, increasing with age, indicative of greater mortality from the disease in elderly women. There was a trend of increasing mortality, with statistical significance, in the age groups from 25 to 34 and 35 to 44. The others were considered stable trends.

Analysis of bilateral breast carcinomas: a profile of patients at a reference service

Objective: To select cases of bilateral breast carcinoma (BBC) of patients seen at Hospital de Clínicas of Paraná, besides recognizing clinical and family characteristics, histological and immunohistochemical pattern, and incidences of synchronic/metachronic tumor in these patients. Method: Observational and analytical study of BBC cases of patients treated at Hospital de Clínicas of Paraná, from 2003 to 2019, developed from the analysis of medical records. Result: A total of 42 patients with BBC were selected. The incidence of BBC was 3.64%. All patients were women, mostly of white skin color and postmenopausal, with an average age of 51.82 years. Half patients showed a positive family history for cancer, with breast cancer present in 46%, ovarian cancer in 16%, and other topographies in 68%. In this sample, the synchronous tumor was present in 55% of patients, and the metachronous tumor, in 45%. Regarding patients' initial clinical staging, 61% had a locally advanced tumor at diagnosis. Both in the group of synchronic and metachronic tumors, the ductal subtype was the most frequent. Regarding the immunohistochemical subtype, patients in both groups had Luminal B tumors more frequently. In the group of metachronic tumors, the average time between the diagnosis of the first tumor and the second tumor was 5.68 years. Conclusion: In this sample, BBC is associated with a relevant family history, with a synchronic presentation pattern, from histology to ductal and immunohistochemistry to Luminal B as the most frequent.

Marking axillary nodes with 4% carbon microparticle suspension before neoadjuvant chemotherapy improves sentinel node identification rate and axillary staging.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Marking positive lymph nodes (LNs) before neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) may improve the accuracy of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of marking LNs with 4% carbon microparticle suspension (CMS) before NAC and to evaluate if this technique would improve the SLNB identification rate. METHODS: A prospective study of patients with cT1-T4, cN1-N2 breast cancer who underwent US-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of suspected LNs and concomitant marking with 4% CMS was performed. After NAC, LNs marked with 4% CMS and those marked with Patent Blue V dye (PBV) were identified and resected. RESULTS: Of the 123 patients included, 74 (60.1%) had positive LNs at FNAB. During axillary surgery, 4% CMS was identified in 121 of 123 patients (98.3%) and blue sentinel LNs in 91% (112 of 123 patients) (P = .0103). Comparing isolated results of PBV and 4%CMS + PBV, the association was better in identifying positive LNs (72.2% vs 97.7%) (P = .02). CONCLUSION: The association of 4% CMS and PBV is feasible and significantly increased the identification rate of positive LNs. 4% CMS may play an important role as a complementary technique in patients submitted to NAC.