Community-Based Breast Cancer Screening Using Digital Breast Tomosynthesis Versus Digital Mammography: Comparison of Screening Performance and Tumor Characteristics.

BACKGROUND. Prior studies comparing cancer screening by digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) and digital mammography (DM) have largely entailed prospective trials and investigations at tertiary academic centers, which may encounter high-risk patient populations and lack heterogeneity among interpreting radiologists. Thus, results may not generalize across real-world community settings in the United States. OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to compare DBT and DM in terms of screening performance and tumor characteristics of screen-detected cancers in a community practice setting. METHODS. Data were retrospectively retrieved for all screening mammography examinations performed by DBT or DM at four outpatient private practice facilities from January 1, 2012, to July 10, 2019. Examinations were interpreted by one of 26 radiologists (21 breast radiologists, five general radiologists). Further detailed information was recorded from radiology and pathology reports for all screen-detected cancers. Statistical comparisons were performed between DBT and DM in terms of screening performance and tumor characteristics of screen-detected cancers. RESULTS. A total of 310 cancers were detected in 47,096 screening DBT examinations and 83,200 screening DM examinations. Cancer detection rate was higher (p < .001) for DBT (3.4 per 1000 women) than for DM (1.8 per 1000 women). PPV1 was higher (p < .001) for DBT (3.5% [161/4641]) than for DM (2.1% [149/7116]). Patients with DBT-detected cancer were younger than those with DM-detected cancer (mean age [range], 61 years [40-87 years] vs 64 years [37-88 years]; p = .02). A greater percentage of DBT-detected than DM-detected cancers were invasive (85.1% [137/161] vs 72.5% [108/149]; p = .006), grade 1 when invasive (27.9% [38/136] vs 17.8% [19/107]; p = .04), and node negative (92.2% [71/77] vs 78.4% [58/74]; p = .02). Cancers detected by DBT and DM were not significantly different in histologic subtype, molecular subtype, or mean size (all p > .05). CONCLUSION. DBT showed a higher cancer detection rate and PPV1 than DM, and patients were younger at cancer diagnosis with DBT. Cancers detected on DBT were more often invasive, grade 1, and node negative. CLINICAL IMPACT. The findings support the generalizability of insights into DBT-based screening, which previously have been investigated primarily in academic settings.

Cryoablation and Immunotherapy for Breast Cancer: Overview and Rationale for Combined Therapy.

Cryoablation is a well-tolerated outpatient procedure that has been used to treat metastatic sites as well as small breast cancers in patients who are considered poor candidates for surgery. Recent studies suggest that cell disruption caused by cryoablation may increase the expression and immunogenicity of tumor neoantigens, which could enhance the ability of the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells at both local and distant sites. Such an approach might broaden the role of immunotherapy for the treatment of breast cancer, which has previously demonstrated limited response to these agents, likely owing to the modest immunogenicity of most breast cancer subtypes. If cryoablation can induce a systemic tumor-specific response, it could enhance tumor susceptibility to immunotherapy agents. This review briefly summarizes the necessary components for generating an immune response against tumor cells, reviews the tumor microenvironment of breast cancer, describes the rationale for and limitations of immune checkpoint inhibition, highlights the potential for cryoablation to induce a systemic tumor-specific immune response, and describes the rationale for combining cryoablation and immune checkpoint inhibitors for the treatment of breast cancer. Keywords: Ablation Techniques, Breast, Neoplasms-Primary, Percutaneous, Tumor Microenvironment, Tumor Response, Ultrasonography © RSNA, 2021.

Compliance with Short-Interval Follow-up MRI after Benign Concordant MRI-guided Breast Biopsy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate compliance with short-interval follow-up MRI after benign concordant MRI-guided breast biopsy. METHODS: This institutional review board-approved retrospective study included all benign concordant MRI-guided biopsies performed between January 1, 2010, and May 1, 2018. The following was collected from the electronic medical record: patient and lesion characteristics, short-interval follow-up MRI recommendation, communication to referring physician, follow-up imaging, repeat biopsies, biopsy outcome, and patient insurance status. Compliance with recommendations was defined as follow-up MRI within 9 months of biopsy. RESULTS: Among 98 patients, there were 107 lesions with benign concordant MRI-guided biopsy results that met study criteria. After excluding 7 patients who underwent subsequent mastectomy, 50/91 (54.9%) patients were recommended short-interval follow-up MRI. Of these, 33/50 (66.0%) had a short-interval follow-up MRI. Direct communication of the short-interval follow-up recommendation was documented in the biopsy report for 4/50 (8%) patients. Subsequent MRI was available for 77/107 (72%) lesions at a median of 29 months following MRI-guided biopsy (range, 3-96 months). Subsequent mammography was available for 21/30 (70%) remaining lesions at a median of 47 months following MRI-guided biopsy (range, 23-88 months). There were two repeat biopsies, with one subsequent malignancy, resulting in a false-negative rate of 0.9% (1/107). CONCLUSION: When short-interval follow-up MRI was recommended following benign concordant MRI-guided breast biopsy, compliance was 66.0%. Lack of communication of the recommendation may at least partially explain the low compliance. The low false-negative rate (0.9%) suggests routine short-interval follow-up MRI may be unnecessary following benign concordant MRI-guided biopsy.

Oxytocin Acts in Nucleus Accumbens to Attenuate Methamphetamine Seeking and Demand.

BACKGROUND: Evidence indicates that oxytocin, an endogenous peptide well known for its role in social behaviors, childbirth, and lactation, is a promising addiction pharmacotherapy. We employed a within-session behavioral-economic (BE) procedure in rats to examine oxytocin as a pharmacotherapy for methamphetamine (meth) addiction. The BE paradigm was modeled after BE procedures used to assess motivation for drugs in humans with addiction. The same BE variables assessed across species have been shown to predict later relapse behavior. Thus, the translational potential of preclinical BE studies is particularly strong. METHODS: We tested the effects of systemic and microinfused oxytocin on demand for self-administered intravenous meth and reinstatement of extinguished meth seeking in male and female rats using a BE paradigm. Correlations between meth demand and meth seeking were assessed. RESULTS: Female rats showed greater demand (i.e., motivation) for meth compared with male rats. In both male and female rats, meth demand predicted reinstatement of meth seeking, and systemic oxytocin decreased demand for meth and attenuated reinstatement to meth seeking. Oxytocin was most effective at decreasing meth demand and seeking in rats with the strongest motivation for drug. Finally, these effects of systemic oxytocin were mediated by actions in the nucleus accumbens. CONCLUSIONS: Oxytocin decreases meth demand and seeking in both sexes, and these effects depend on oxytocin signaling in the nucleus accumbens. Overall, these data indicate that development of oxytocin-based therapies may be a promising treatment approach for meth addiction in humans.