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.

Targeted axillary dissection with preoperative tattooing of biopsied positive axillary lymph nodes in breast cancer.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) has emerged as an alternative to axillary lymph node dissection during breast cancer surgery during the last 2 decades. However, there are several controversies regarding the indication of the sentinel node biopsy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy which can convert positive lymph nodes to negative. The false-negative rate after neoadjuvant chemotherapy is unacceptably high. This high false-negative rate can be decreased by marking of the positive lymph nodes and removal during sentinel lymph node biopsy procedure in addition to the sentinel lymph nodes. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of carbon tattooing of the positive sentinel lymph nodes before neoadjuvant chemotherapy. In 2016, a prospective protocol was launched investigating the black carbon tattooing procedure of the suspective and positive axillary lymph nodes by injecting 0.1-0.5 carbon ink in normal saline under ultrasound guidance. All patients underwent black carbon tattooing of the suspected or positive axillary lymph nodes before the chemotherapy or one week before the primary surgery when chemotherapy was not indicated in the neoadjuvant setting. Sentinel lymph nodes together with lymph nodes marked by the black carbon ink were removed and histologically evaluated. So far 27 patients were treated under this protocol. Breast saving surgery was performed in 22 cases and mastectomy in 5 cases. All patients had invasive ductal carcinoma. In 20 patients neoadjuvant chemotherapy was indicated and in 7 patients primary surgery was performed. All lymph nodes marked by black carbon ink were successfully identified and removed. Sentinel lymph node biopsy was performed in 8 cases and sentinel lymph node biopsy followed by axillary dissection in 15 cases. Axillary dissection alone was performed in 4 cases. In 19 cases, the black carbon ink was present in the sentinel lymph node at the same time and in 4 cases carbon dye was present in other lymph nodes than the lymph node identified during SLNB, which corresponds to 17.4%. In the group of patients undergoing primary surgery, in one case from six, the sentinel lymph node was negative and the lymph node marked with carbon ink positive which represents false-negative lymph node and failure of the SLNB procedure. After neoadjuvant chemotherapy, there was no false-negative lymph node identified, but the conversion of the positive lymph nodes to negative was present in 10 cases (50%). There were no complications attributed to carbon ink tattooing. The results of positive sentinel lymph nodes tattooing have confirmed that this method is safe and allows a decrease in the false negativity rate during the sentinel node biopsy procedure.

Surgical treatment of breast carcinoma after neoadjuvant therapy.

INTRODUCTION: Neoadjuvant therapy (NT) applied before breast cancer surgery can lead in favourable cases to regression of the tumor or its total disappearance - pathological complete response (pCR). Due to downstaging after NT, the extent of the surgery can be reduced. pCR represents an important prognostic factor for survival. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of NT resulting in pCR on our sample of patients and to assess the frequency of locoregional recurrence (LRR) depending on the extent of the surgery in postoperative care. METHODS: This retrospective study was performed on a sample of 96 patients who underwent breast cancer surgery between 2006 and 2018 after previous NT. On the basis of the histological examination after surgery we evaluated the degree of regression and thus also pCR. In postoperative care we followed the patients for any occurrence of LRR in the breast and axilla. RESULTS: pCR (Chevallier 1) was observed in 26 cases - 27.1%. During follow-up in postoperative care, 8 cases of LRR occurred - 8.3% (5.2% after mastectomy and 2.1% after breast-conserving surgery). Mean follow-up was almost 30 months with the median of 26.5 months. CONCLUSION: With the development of new NT procedures a significant rise in pCR has occurred, predominantly in HER 2+ and triple negative subtypes, thus leading to a decreased incidence of LRR. The number of breast-conserving surgeries with sentinel lymph node biopsy is rising. In a select group of patients breast-conserving surgery is safe and is associated with a low number of LRR events.

Phytomenadione pre-treatment in EGFR inhibitor-induced folliculitis.

BACKGROUND: Targeted oncology therapy with inhibitors of epidermal growth factor receptor is associated with numerous cutaneous side effects. Acneiform eruptions are the most frequent skin toxicities reported. They may lead to impairment of patients' quality of life and sometimes may even become severe enough to necessitate the interruption or cessation of therapy. OBJECTIVE: To assess the possible effect of topical phytomenadione (vitamin K1 ) pre-treatment in diminishing the extent and severity of acne-like follicular rash associated with epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor therapy. METHODS: A series of 20 patients with colorectal cancer or head and neck cancer were pre-treated with phytomenadione cream (0.05% in seven patients and 0.1% in 13 patients), starting morning before the first infusion of cetuximab or panitumumab, and followed up for the development of therapy-associated folliculitis. The cream was prepared from phytomenadione solution added to a hydrophilic cream base, oil in water, to obtain the concentration of 0.05% or 0.1%. RESULTS: Majority of patients (15 out of 20, 75%) pre-treated with phytomenadione cream experienced only mild, grade I acneiform eruptions. Five patients (25%) had grade II rash, which included two of seven patients pre-treated with 0.05% phytomenadione cream and three of 13 patients who used 0.1% phytomenadione cream. Topical phytomenadione cream was well tolerated and no abnormalities in blood coagulation were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Topical pre-treatment with phytomenadione cream might become useful in epidermal growth factor inhibitor-associated acneiform eruptions.

Cetuximab-induced cutaneous toxicity.

BACKGROUND: Epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors are recently utilized by oncologists in advanced cases of certain malignancies. However, these agents are associated with numerous cutaneous adverse reactions. OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the cutaneous toxicity of cetuximab-treated patients. METHODS: An analysis of a series of 24 patients (20 men and 4 women) treated with cetuximab (12 patients with head and neck cancer and 12 patients with colorectal cancer) was performed with respect to relevant clinical characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 22 patients (91.7%) developed pustular or maculopapular follicular eruption, often referred to as acneiform rash. One patient (4.2%) developed paronychia in the course of cetuximab therapy. All patients with head and neck cancer had a combination treatment with radiotherapy and experienced radiation dermatitis accompanied by skin xerosis. Anaphylactic reaction was observed in three patients (12.5%). CONCLUSIONS: The most frequent cutaneous side effect reported in this series was acneiform eruption. The authors observed that all women with acneiform rash had only limited facial involvement, whereas all but one man experienced more widespread lesions of the face, the back and the chest. We found no association between the extent and severity of cutaneous eruptions (grade 1 vs. grade 2) and patients' response to therapy.