ObjectiveTo explore the feasibility of homemade domestic breast palpation imaging (BPI) instead of clinical breast palpation examination (CBE) for screening breast masses. MethodsThe patients who received breast ultrasonography (BUS), BPI examinations and CBE in the Sichuan Cancer Hospital from March 2022 to September 2022 were retrospectively collected. The result of BUS examination was used as the criteria to compare the efficiency and difference between the BPI examination and CBE in detecting breast masses. The effects of the patients’ body mass index, breast volume, tumor location, benign and malignant tumor, and maximum tumor diameter on the accuracy of breast tumor detection by BPI system were further analyzed. ResultsA total of 102 patients were included in this study. Among the 90 patients with breast mass detected by BUS, 76 cases were detected by BPI and 51 cases were detected by CBE. In the 12 patients without tumor mass detected by BUS, only 11 cases patients without tumor mass were detected by BPI and CBE. The sensitivity and accuracy of breast tumor mass screening by the BPI were higher than those by the CBE (84.4% vs. 56.7%, 85.2% vs. 60.7%, respectively), and the specificity was similar (91.6%, both). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (95% confidence interval, 95%CI) of BPI and CBE for screening breast masses were 0.903 (0.791, 0.970) and 0.799 (0.747, 0.851), respectively. The former was higher than the latter (Z=2.494, P=0.013). The consistencies were moderate (Kappa=0.518, P<0.001), general (Kappa=0.204, P=0.002), moderate (Kappa=0.518, P<0.001) between the BPI and BUS, between CBE and BUS, and between BPI and CBE for screening breast masses, respectively. The results of multivariate analysis of binary logistics regression indicated that the benign tumor mass was not easily detected [OR (95%CI） was 9.600（1.328, 69.400), P=0.025] and the tumor mass with breast volume ＜350 mL was easily detected [OR (95%CI） was 0.157 (0.030, 0.818), P=0.028], the diameter of tumor mass had no obvious influence on breast tumor mass screening by the BPI. ConclusionAccording to the preliminary results of this study, BPI can improve the sensitivity of detecting breast masses and make up for the lack of objective records of CBE, but BPI cannot replace CBE at present.
ObjectiveTo explore the influence of sentinel lymph node (SLN) status on the prognosis of elderly breast cancer patients ≥70 years old, and to screen patients who may be exempted from sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), so as to guide clinical individualized treatment for such patients. MethodsA retrospective analysis was made on 270 breast cancer patients aged ≥70 years old who underwent SLNB in the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from 2012 to 2021. The clinicopathological characteristics of the total cases were compared according to the status of SLN. Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw the survival curve, and the influence of SLN status on the overall survival (OS) time, local recurrence (LR) and distant metastasis (DM) of patients were analyzed, and used log-rank to compare between groups. At the same time, the patients with hormone receptor (HR) positive were analyzed by subgroup. The differences between groups were compared by single factor χ2 test, and multivariate Cox regression model was used to analyze and determine the factors affecting OS, LR and DM of patients. ResultsThe age of 270 patients ranged from 70 to 95 years, with a median age of 74 years. One hundred and sixty-nine (62.6%) patients’ tumor were T2 stage. Invasive ductal carcinoma accounted for 83.0%, histological gradeⅡ accounted for 74.4%, estrogen receptor positive accounted for 78.1%, progesterone receptor positive accounted for 71.9%, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative accounted for 83.3%. The number of SLNs obtained by SLNB were 1-9, and the median was 3. SLN was negative in 202 cases (74.8%) and positive in 68 cases (25.2%). Thirty-five patients (13.0%) received axillary lymph node dissection. There was no significant difference in LR between the SLN positive group and the SLN negative group (P>0.05), but the SLN negative group had fewer occurrences of DM (P=0.001) and longer OS time (P=0.009) compared to the SLN positive group. The results of univariate and multivariate analysis suggest that the older the patient, the shorter the OS time and the greater the risk of DM. Analysis of HR positive subgroups showed that SLN status did not affect patient survival and prognosis, but age was still associated with poor OS time and DM. ConclusionsFor patients with invasive ductal carcinoma of breast in T1-T2 stage, HR positive, clinical axillary lymph nodes negative, and age ≥70 years old, SLNB may be exempted. According to the patient’s performance or tumor biological characteristics, patients who need systemic adjuvant chemotherapy may still consider SLNB.
ObjectiveTo summarize functions and mechanisms of poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors and its application in germline BRCA mutated breast cancer.MethodThe literatures about the PARP inhibitors and their applications in the treatment of germline BRCA mutated breast cancer at home and abroad in recent years were collected to make a review.ResultsAs a DNA repair enzyme, the PARP played an important role in the DNA repair pathway. Based on this mechanism, the PARP inhibitors had been developed and widely used in the clinic. On the other hand, the previous studies had shown that the PARP inhibitors marked the synthetic lethal effect in the cancers with homologous recombination deficiency mechanism. By inhibiting the PARP activity in the tumor cells with BRCA mutation, all the DNA damage repair pathways were blocked, which could induce the cell apoptosis or increase the sensitivity of tumor cells to chemoradiotherapy, resulting in the cell death.ConclusionIn patients with germline BRCA mutated breast cancer, PARP inhibitors can selectively kill breast cancer cells and show a high potential for individualized treatment.
Objective To explore the relationship between the metastatic sites and prognosis in newly diagnosed stage Ⅳ breast cancer. Methods The data of newly diagnosed female patients with stage Ⅳ invasive breast cancer with complete follow-up data from SEER database from 2010 to 2015 were grouped according to different metastatic sites, and the differences of breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) in different metastatic sites were analyzed by univariate and multivariate Cox. Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw the survival curve, and log-rank test was used to analyze the prognostic factors of BCSS in newly diagnosed stage ⅳ breast cancer. Results A total of 8 407 patients were included in the final analysis. Among them, 5 619 (66.84%) patients were confirmed with bone metastasis only, 1 483 (17.64%) patients with lung metastasis only, 1 096 (13.04%) patients with liver metastasis only, and 209 (2.49%) patients with brain metastasis only. The median follow-up time was 22 months, with 4 180 (49.72%) breast cancer-related deaths and a median BCSS of 39 months in those patients. The location of metastasis in newly diagnosed stage Ⅳ invasive breast cancer was significantly correlated with BCSS (χ2=151.07, P<0.001). Multivariate Cox model analysis showed that the BCSS was worse in patients with liver metastasis [HR=1.34, 95%CI (1.21, 1.49), P<0.001], lung metastasis [HR=1.09, 95%CI (1.04, 1.14), P<0.001] and brain metastases [HR=1.28, 95%CI (1.20, 1.36), P<0.001] than in patients with bone metastases. Further subgroup analysis showed that the BCSS of breast cancer patients with different molecular subtypes and different metastatic sites were also significantly different (P<0.05). Patients with brain and liver metastases in the HR+/HER2– subtype had worse BCSS than those with bone metastases (P<0.001). Patients with brain metastases in the HR+/HER2+ subtype had worse BCSS than those with bone metastases (P=0.001). In HR–/HER2+ subtype, the BCSS of patients with liver metastasis, lung metastasis and brain metastasis were worse than that of patients with bone metastasis (P<0.05). In HR–/HER2– subtype, the BCSS of patients with brain metastasis and liver metastasis were worse than that of patients with bone metastasis (P<0.05) . Conclusion The prognosis of newly diagnosed stage ⅳ breast cancer patients with different metastatic sites is different, and the prognosis of different molecular subtypes and different metastatic sites is also different.
ObjectiveTo detect the expression of Krüppel like factor 8 (KLF8) in breast cancer tissues and cells and to explore the clinical significance of KLF8.Methods① The Oncomine database was used to analyze the differential expression of KLF8 mRNA in the breast cancer tissues. The Kaplan-Meier Plotter database was used to analyze the relationship between KLF8 mRNA expression and prognosis (relapse free survival, overall survival, post-progression survival, and distant metastasis-free survival) of patients with breast cancer. ② The quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot were used to detect the KLF8 expression levels in the 16 clinical patients with breast cancer and 7 breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231, MCF-12A, Hs-578T, MCF-7, BT-474, MDA-MB-453, ZR-75-30) and normal breast epithelial cell lines MCF-10A, and the immunofluorescence was used to further detect the localization of KLF8 expression in the 2 breast cancer cell lines with higher KLF8 expression level. ③ The immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of KLF8 protein in 135 cases of breast cancer tissue microarrays, and the relationships between KLF8 protein expression and clinicopathologic characteristics or overall survival were analyzed.Results① The Oncomine database showed that KLF8 mRNA expression in the breast cancer tissues was higher than that in the normal breast tissues (P<0.001). The median KLF8 mRNA expression level was taken as the cut-off point for high or low KLF8 expression. The results of Kaplan-Meier Plotter data analysis showed that the prognosis (relapse free survival, overall survival, postprogression survival, and distant metastasis-free survival) of patients with low KLF8 mRNA expression were better than those of patients with high KLF8 mRNA expression (P<0.05). ② The results of qRT-PCR and Western blot all showed that the KLF8 mRNA and protein expression levels in the breast cancer tissues were higher than those in the adjacent normal tissues (P=0.002, P<0.001). In addition, the Western blot results showed that the expression of KLF8 protein in the 7 breast cancer cell lines was higher than that in the normal breast epithelial cell lines MCF-10A respectively, and KLF8 protein mainly expressed in the cytoplasm of breast cancer cells and highly expressed in the nuclear of a few cells. ③ There were 63 cases of high KLF8 expression and 72 cases of low KLF8 expression by the immunohistochemical analysis of 135 patients with breast cancer tissue microarray (the H-score of the immunohistochemical test results was 75 as the cut-off point, H-score >75 was the high KLF8 expression and H-score ≤75 was the low KLF8 expression), the differences of statuses of estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) between the patient with high KLF8 expression and low KLF8 expression were significant (P<0.05). The Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis showed that the prognosis of patients with high KLF8 expression was worse than that of patients with low KLF8 expression (P=0.002). The univariate analysis showed that the TNM stage, statuses of ER and PR, and KLF8 expression were related to the prognosis of patients with breast cancer (P<0.05), further multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis indicated that the later stage of TNM and high KLF8 expression were the independent risk factors (P<0.05).ConclusionsThe results of this study suggest that KLF8 highly expresses in both breast cancer tissues and breast cancer cells, which is related to the statuses of ER and PR and prognosis of patients with breast cancer. KLF8 might be involved in the progression of breast cancer as an oncogenic gene, or it might provide a new direction for prognosis judgment and molecular targeted therapy of breast cancer.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the effects of multi-disciplinary diagnosis and treatment model based on doctor-patient shared decision making on treatment outcomes, quality of life and postoperative complications of breast cancer patients. MethodsA total of 100 breast cancer patients were included in this study through a prospective randomized controlled design, and were randomly divided into control group and intervention group, with 50 patients in each group. The control group received traditional treatment mode, while the intervention group implemented a multidisciplinary treatment mode based on doctor-patient sharing decision making. The results of treatment, quality of life and postoperative complication rate were compared between the two groups. ResultsThe completion rate of adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy in the intervention group was 94.0%, which was higher than that in the control group (80.0%), and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.037). The satisfaction rate of postoperative breast appearance in the intervention group was 90.0%, which was higher than that in the control group (60.0%), with statistical significance (P<0.001). There was no significant difference in grade Ⅲ/Ⅳ toxicity between the two groups (P>0.05). After treatment, the scores of patients’ quality of life in the intervention group were higher than those in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The incidence of postoperative complications in the intervention group was 6.0%, which was lower than that in the control group (22.0%), and the difference was statistically (P=0.021). ConclusionsThe application of multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment model based on doctor-patient sharing decision-making in the treatment of breast cancer patients has significantly improved the treatment effect and quality of life, and effectively reduced the rate of postoperative complications. This model provides a new approach to the treatment of breast cancer that is more personalized, comprehensive and efficient.
ObjectiveTo analyze the clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative breast cancer patients with different expression status of estrogen receptor (ER). MethodsThe patients with HER2-negative breast cancer met the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were treated in the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019 were retrospectively collected, and then were assigned into 3 groups according to the ER expression status: ER-negative (ER expression positive rate <1%) group, ER-low expression (ER expression positive rate 1%–10%) group, and ER expression positive rate >10% group. The differences of clinicopathologic characteristics, therapy, and prognosis among the 3 groups were compared. And the risk factors affecting recurrence and metastasis of patients with ER-low expression were analyzed by Cox proportional hazards regression model. ResultsA total of 610 patients with HER2-negative breast cancer were included in this study, including 130 patients in the ER-negative group, 48 patients in the ER-low expression group, and 432 patients in the ER expression positive rate >10% group. The Bonferroni method was used to correct the test level after pairwise comparison, it was found that the histological grade was later (P<0.001, P=0.023) and the Ki-67 expression was higher (P<0.001, P=0.023) in the ER-negative group and ER-low expression group as compared with the ER expression positive rate >10% group; The proportion of the patients receiving chemotherapy in the ER-negative group was higher than that of the ER expression positive rate >10% group (χ2=10.310, P=0.001), while which had no statistical difference between the ER-low expression group and the ER-negative group or the ER expression positive rate >10% group (Fisher exact probability method, P=1.000; χ2= 3.585, P=0.058); The proportion of patients receiving endocrine therapy in the ER-low expression group was higher than that in the ER-negative group (χ2=36.333, P<0.001) and lower than the ER expression positive rate >10% group (χ2=246.996, P<0.001). The difference in disease-free survival (DFS) curves among 3 groups was statistically significant (χ2=46.805, P<0.001); There were no statistical differences in the overall survival (OS) curve and DFS curve between the ER-negative group and the ER-low expression group (Two stage test, P=0.786; χ2=1.141, P=0.286), and which in the ER expression positive rate >10% group were significantly better than thoses in the ER-negative group (χ2=10.137, P=0.001; χ2=39.344, P<0.001) and the ER-low expression group (χ2=4.075, P=0.044; χ2=31.911, P<0.001). The results of multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis showed that N1 and N2 [N0 as reference: RR (95%CI)=7.740 (1.939, 30.897), P=0.004; RR (95%CI)=9.513 (1.990, 45.478), P=0.005) and T3 [T1 as reference: RR (95%CI)=27.357 (2.188, 342.041), P=0.010] increased the probabilities of recurrence and metastasis HER2-negative breast cancer patients with ER-low expression. ConclusionsAccording to results of this study, patients with HER2-negative breast cancer showed certain differences in histological grade and Ki-67 expression among patients with three different ER expression status, but no statistical difference is found between ER-low expression and ER-negative breast cancer, and the prognoses of both are worse than that of ER expression positive rate >10% breast cancer patients. Lymph node metastasis and larger tumor are risk factors affecting recurrence and metastasis in ER-low expression breast cancer patients.
Objective To study the risk factors for contralateral breast cancer (CBC) in women after regular treatment of the primary breast cancer. Methods Between January 1997 to December 2002, the clinical data of 340 breast cancer patients at our institution were retrospectively analyzed. In all the patients a detailed analysis was carried out with respect to age, operation type, radiation therapy technique and dose, the use of chemotherapy or hormone therapy, and other clinicopathologic characteristics. The KaplanMeier method was used to estimate the actuarial rate of CBC. The Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to estimate the relative risk factors of CBC. Results Fourteen cases were diagnosed to be CBC, thus overall incidence of CBC was 4.1%. Ten-year CBC incidence (2.7%) was higher than 5-year incidence of CBC (1.4%). Univariate analysis showed that the risk factors of CBC at 5-year and 10-year included: ≤45 years old, medullary carcinoma, family history of breast cancer and being taken without endocrine therapy (P＜0.05), while chemotherapy and radiotherapy were not risk factors of CBC (P＞0.05). Mutivariate analysis showed that ≤ 45 years old and being internal breast radiotherapy were independent risk factors of CBC at 5-year and 10-year (P＜0.05). Conclusions CBC may occur in these primary breast cancer patients with age ≤45 years old, medullary carcinoma, family history of breast cancer. In order to reduce the incidence of CBC, endocrine therapy rather than internal breast radiotherapy should be performed in early breast cancer patients.
ObjectiveTo investigate the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and its relation with clinicopathologic features. MethodsA computer search of PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang Data, and VIP databases were conducted to select clinical studies on EGFR expression in the TNBC according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the search period was from database establishment to January 2022. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted the data, and evaluated the quality of the literature before conducting meta-analysis using RevMan 5.4 software. ResultsA total of 28 studies including 7 956 patients were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that the positive rate of EGFR expression in the TNBC patients was higher than that in the non-TNBC patients [OR=5.16, 95%CI (4.04, 6.58), P<0.000 01], and the proportions of patients with axillary lymph node metastasis [OR=3.11, 95%CI (1.56, 6.19), P=0.001] and with tumor diameter >2 cm [OR=2.09, 95%CI (1.18, 3.72), P=0.01] in the patients with EGFR positive were higher than those the patients with EGFR negative, no correlation was found that the proportion of patients with histological WHO classification 3 between the patients with EGFR positive expression and EGFR negative expression (P=0.07). ConclusionFrom the results of this meta-analysis, EGFR expression might be associated with the occurrence, development, and metastasis of patients with TNBC.
ObjectiveTo study the cause of different prognosis in typical medullary carcinoma and atypical medullary carcinoma. MethodsThe immunohistochemical staining method was used to evaluate the positivity of Ecadherin,βcatenin, in 30 cases of atypical medullary carcinoma and 18 cases of typical medullary carcinoma and 10 cases of normal breast. ResultsThe positive rate and staining intensity of Ecadherin and βcatenin oncoprotein were significantly higher in typical medullary carcinoma than in atypical medullary carcinoma(Plt;0.01).ConclusionExpression of Ecadherin and βcatenin is one of the causes of similar morphology and different prognosis in medullary breast carcinoma.