Correlation and predictive value of pathological complete response and ultrasound characteristic parameters in neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast

BACKGROUND Breast cancer ranks as one of the most prevalent malignant tumors among women,significantly endangering their health and lives.While radical surgery has been a pivotal method for halting disease progression,it alone is insufficient for enhancing the quality of life for patients.AIM To investigate the correlation between ultrasound characteristic parameters of breast cancer lesions and clinical efficacy in patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAC).METHODS Employing a case-control study design,this research involved 178 breast cancer patients treated with NAC at our hospital from July 2019 to June 2022.According to the Miller-Payne grading system,the pathological response,i.e.efficacy,of the NAC in the initial breast lesion after NAC was evaluated.Of these,59 patients achieved a pathological complete response(PCR),while 119 did not(non-PCR group).Ultrasound characteristics prior to NAC were compared between these groups,and the association of various factors with NAC efficacy was analyzed using univariate and multivariate approaches.RESULTS In the PCR group,the incidence of posterior echo attenuation,lesion diameter≥2.0 cm,and Alder blood flow grade≥II were significantly lower compared to the non-PCR group(P<0.05).The area under the curve values for predicting NAC efficacy using posterior echo attenuation,lesion diameter,and Alder grade were 0.604,0.603,and 0.583,respectively.Also,rates of pathological stage II,lymph node metastasis,vascular invasion,and positive Ki-67 expression were significantly lower in the PCR group(P<0.05).Logistic regression analysis identified posterior echo attenuation,lesion diameter≥2.0 cm,Alder blood flow grade≥II,pathological stage III,vascular invasion,and positive Ki-67 expression as independent predictors of poor response to NAC in breast cancer patients(P<0.05).CONCLUSION While ultrasound characteristics such as posterior echo attenuation,lesion diameter≥2.0 cm,and Alder blood flow grade≥II exhibit limited predictive value for NAC efficacy,they are significantly associated with poor response to NAC in breast cancer patients.

Analysis of the Clinical Value of Immunohistochemical Testing in the Pathological Diagnosis of Breast Cancer

Objective:To investigate the clinical value of immunohistochemistry(IHC)detection in the pathological diagnosis of breast cancer.Methods:Eighty breast cancer patients admitted to Baoding No.1 Central Hospital from June 2022 to June 2023 were selected as study subjects.The samples were divided into a positive group(40 cases)and a negative group(40 cases)according to ER and PR test results.Immunohistochemistry was performed on all patients to compare the differences between the two groups in C-erbB-2 positive expression and axillary lymph node metastasis.Results:The positive expression rate of C-erbB-2 in the positive group(35.00%)was significantly lower than that in the negative group(80.00%),with a highly significant difference(P<0.001).The axillary lymph node metastasis rate in the positive group(40.00%)was significantly lower than that in the negative group(75.00%),with a significant difference(P<0.05).Conclusion:Immunohistochemical detection in breast cancer pathology enhances diagnostic accuracy,predicts prognosis,and supports personalized treatment by identifying ER,PR,and C-erbB-2.It is worth being widely adopted in clinical practice.

A Swin Transformer and Residualnetwork Combined Model for Breast Cancer Disease Multi-Classification Using Histopathological Images

Breast cancer has become a killer of women's health nowadays.In order to exploit the potential representational capabilities of the models more comprehensively,we propose a multi-model fusion strategy.Specifically,we combine two differently structured deep learning models,ResNet101 and Swin Transformer(SwinT),with the addition of the Convolutional Block Attention Module(CBAM)attention mechanism,which makes full use of SwinT's global context information modeling ability and ResNet101's local feature extraction ability,and additionally the cross entropy loss function is replaced by the focus loss function to solve the problem of unbalanced allocation of breast cancer data sets.The multi-classification recognition accuracies of the proposed fusion model under 40X,100X,200X and 400X BreakHis datasets are 97.50%,96.60%,96.30 and 96.10%,respectively.Compared with a single SwinT model and ResNet 101 model,the fusion model has higher accuracy and better generalization ability,which provides a more effective method for screening,diagnosis and pathological classification of female breast cancer.

Synchronous multiple primary malignant neoplasms in breast,kidney,and bilateral thyroid:A case report

BACKGROUND Multiple primary malignant neoplasms(MPMNs)are rare,while synchronous MPMNs(SMPMNs)are even less common.Owing to the progression of medical technology and the extension of life expectancy,its incidence is gradually increasing.CASE SUMMARY Although reports of breast and thyroid dual cancers are common,cases of an additional diagnosis of kidney primary cancer within the same individual are rare.CONCLUSION We present a case of simultaneous MPMN of three endocrine organs,reviewing the relevant literature to enhance our understanding of SMPMNs while emphasizing the increasingly important need for accurate diagnosis and multidisciplinary management whenever this challenging situation arises.

molecular pathology of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas

Since the first description of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms(IPMNs)of the pancreas in the eighties,their identification has dramatically increased in the last decades,hand to hand with the improvements in diagnostic imaging and sampling techniques for the study of pancreatic diseases.However,the heterogeneity of IPMNs and their malignant potential make difficult the management of these lesions.The objective of this review is to identify the molecular characteristics of IPMNs in order to recognize potential markers for the discrimination of more aggressive IPMNs requiring surgical resection from benign IPMNs that could be observed.We briefly summarize recent research findings on the genetics and epigenetics of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms,identifying some genes,molecular mechanisms and cellular signaling pathways correlated to the pathogenesis of IPMNs and their progression to malignancy.The knowledge of molecular biology of IPMNs has impressively developed over the last few years.A great amount of genes functioning as oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes have been identified,in pancreatic juice or in blood or in the samples from the pancreatic resections,but further researches are required to use these informations for clinical intent,in order to better define the natural history of these diseases and to improve their management.

European vs 2015-World Health Organization clinical molecular and pathological classification of myeloproliferative neoplasms

The BCR/ABL fusion gene or the Ph^1-chromosome in the t(9;22)(q34;q11)exerts a high tyrokinase acticity,which is the cause of chronic myeloid leukemia(CML).The1990 Hannover Bone Marrow Classification separated CML from the myeloproliferative disorders essential thrombocythemia(ET),polycythemia vera(PV)and chronic megakaryocytic granulocytic myeloproliferation(CMGM).The 2006-2008 European Clinical Molecular and Pathological(ECMP)criteria discovered 3variants of thrombocythemia:ET with features of PV(prodromal PV),"true"ET and ET associated with CMGM.The 2008 World Health Organization(WHO)-ECMP and 2014 WHO-CMP classifications defined three phenotypes of JAK2^(V617F)mutated ET:normocellular ET(WHO-ET),hypercelluar ET due to increased erythropoiesis(prodromal PV)and ET with hypercellular megakaryocytic-granulocytic myeloproliferation.The JAK2^(V617F)mutation load in heterozygous WHO-ET is low and associated with normal life expectance.The hetero/homozygous JAK2^(V617F)mutation load in PV and myelofibrosis is related to myeloproliferative neoplasm(MPN)disease burden in terms of symptomaticsplenomegaly,constitutional symptoms,bone marrow hypercellularity and myelofibrosis.JAK2 exon 12mutated MPN presents as idiopathic eryhrocythemia and early stage PV.According to 2014 WHO-CMP criteria JAK2 wild type MPL^(515)mutated ET is the second distinct thrombocythemia featured by clustered giant megakaryocytes with hyperlobulated stag-horn-like nuclei,in a normocellular bone marrow consistent with the diagnosis of"true"ET.JAK2/MPL wild type,calreticulin mutated hypercellular ET appears to be the third distinct thrombocythemia characterized by clustered larged immature dysmorphic megakaryocytes and bulky(bulbous)hyperchromatic nuclei consistent with CMGM or primary megakaryocytic granulocytic myeloproliferation.

PVSG and WHO vs European Clinical,Molecular and Pathological Criteria for prefibrotic myeloproliferative neoplasms

The Polycythemia Vera Study Group(PVSG),World Health Organization(WHO) and European Clinical,Molecular and Pathological(ECMP) classifications agree upon the diagnostic criteria for polycythemia vera(PV) and advanced primary myelofibrosis(MF). Essential thrombocythemia(ET) according to PVSG and 2007/2008 WHO criteria comprises three variants of JAK2V617 F mutated ET when the ECMP criteria are applied. These include normocellular ET,hypercellular ET with features of early PV(prodromal PV),and hypercellular ET due to megakaryocytic,granulocytic myeloprolifera-tion(ET.MGM). Evolution of prodromal PV into overt PV is common. Development of MF is rare in normocellular ET(WHO-ET) but rather common in hypercellular ET.MGM. The JAK2V617 F mutation burden in heterozygous mutated normocellular ET and in heterozygous/homozygous or homozygous mutated PV and ET.MGM is of major prognostic significance. JAK2/MPL wild type ET associated with prefibrotic primary megakaryocytic and granulocytic myeloproliferation(PMGM) is characterized by densely clustered immature dysmorphic megakaryocytes with bulky(bulbous) hyperchromatic nuclei,which are never seen in JAK2V617 F mutated ET,and PV and also not in MPL515 mutated normocellular ET(WHO-ET). JAK2V617 mutation burden,spleen size,LDH,circulating CD34+ cells,and pre-treatment bone marrow histopathology are mandatory to stage the myeloproliferative neoplasms ET,PV,PMGM for proper prognosis assessment and therapeutic implications. MF itself is not a disease because reticulin fibrosis and reticulin/collagen fibrosis are secondary responses of activated polyclonal fibroblasts to cytokines released from the clonal myeloproliferative granulocytic and megakaryocytic progenitor cells in ET.MGM,PV and PMGM.

The Epidemiological, Clinical and Radiological (Echography, Mammography) Characteristics of Breast Pathologies at the Diagnostic Imaging Center (C.I.D) “Teriya” in Bamako

Breast pathology is varied, bringing together tumor and non-tumor lesions. Objective: To study the contribution of the ultrasound-mammography pair in the diagnosis of breast pathologies. Materials and Method: This was a retrospective descriptive study, carried out over a period of 3 years (from January 2018 to December 2020) at the Diagnostic Imaging Center (C.I.D) “TERIYA” in BAMAKO. It concerned all patients who came for a mammogram/ultrasound examination of the breast. All women admitted for mammogram or breast ultrasound who were diagnosed with a breast injury during the study period were included. Incomplete records and radiological checks were not included. The variables analyzed were age, sex, clinical data, and ultrasound and mammography aspects. The devices used are: a Voluson 730 PRO ultrasound machine and a G 600T type mammography machine. Results: At the end of our study, we collected 254 breast pathologies on a number of 382 women, i.e. a frequency of 66.49%. The average age of our patients was 41 years old. The dominant clinical data were mastodynia (41.88%) and mammary nodule (21.70%). On imaging (mammo-ultrasound) the lesions predominated on the left in 36% of cases, bilateral in 28% of cases and in the upper-outer quadrants in 31.5% of cases. Tumor pathologies represented 66.54% of which 45.27% were benign mainly composed of fibro-adenoma (20.88%) and cyst (18.50%), 11.8% of suspected cases and 9.45% of cancers. Non-tumor pathologies represented 33.46%, mainly mastitis (16.14%), galactophoric dilations (11.02%) and abscesses (5.51%). These pathologies were classified in 50.3% in ACR2, 17.75% in ACR3 and 4, and in 14.20% in ACR5. Lymphadenopathy was present in 73.21% of cases.

Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm in Jinhua,China:Two case reports

BACKGROUND Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm(BPDCN)is a rare and clinically aggressive hematologic malignancy originating from the precursors of plasmacytoid dendritic cells.BPDCN often involves the skin,lymph nodes,and bone marrow,with rapid clinical progression and a poor prognosis.The BPDCN diagnosis is mainly based on the immunophenotype.CASE SUMMARY In this paper,we retrospectively analyzed 2 cases of BPDCN.Both patients were elderly males.The lesions manifested as skin masses.Morphological manifestations included diffuse and dense tumor cell infiltration of the dermis and subcutaneous tissues.Immunohistochemistry staining showed that cluster of differentiation CD4,CD56,CD43,and CD123 were positive.CONCLUSION In this paper,we retrospectively analyzed 2 cases of BPDCN.Both patients were elderly males.The lesions manifested as skin masses.Morphological manifestations included diffuse and dense tumor cell infiltration of the dermis and subcutaneous tissues.Immunohistochemistry staining showed that cluster of differentiation CD4,CD56,CD43,and CD123 were positive.

Bibliometric analysis of phosphoglycerate kinase 1 expression in breast cancer and its distinct upregulation in triple-negative breast cancer

BACKGROUND Phosphoglycerate kinase 1(PGK1)has been identified as a possible biomarker for breast cancer(BC)and may play a role in the development and advancement of triple-negative BC(TNBC).AIM To explore the PGK1 and BC research status and PGK1 expression and mecha-nism differences among TNBC,non-TNBC,and normal breast tissue.METHODS PGK1 and BC related literature was downloaded from Web of Science Core Co-llection Core Collection.Publication counts,key-word frequency,cooperation networks,and theme trends were analyzed.Normal breast,TNBC,and non-TNBC mRNA data were gathered,and differentially expressed genes obtained.Area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curves,sensitivity and specificity of PGK1 expression were determined.Kaplan Meier revealed PGK1’s prognostic implication.PGK1 co-expressed genes were explored,and Gene Onto-logy,Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes,and Disease Ontology applied.Protein-protein interaction networks were constructed.Hub genes identified.RESULTS PGK1 and BC related publications have surged since 2020,with China leading the way.The most frequent keyword was“Expression”.Collaborative networks were found among co-citations,countries,institutions,and authors.PGK1 expression and BC progression were research hotspots,and PGK1 expression and BC survival were research frontiers.In 16 TNBC vs non-cancerous breast and 15 TNBC vs non-TNBC datasets,PGK1 mRNA levels were higher in 1159 TNBC than 1205 non-cancerous breast cases[standardized mean differences(SMD):0.85,95%confidence interval(95%CI):0.54-1.16,I²=86%,P<0.001].PGK1 expression was higher in 1520 TNBC than 7072 non-TNBC cases(SMD:0.25,95%CI:0.03-0.47,I²=91%,P=0.02).Recurrence free survival was lower in PGK1-high-expression than PGK1-low-expression group(hazard ratio:1.282,P=0.023).PGK1 co-expressed genes were concentrated in ATP metabolic process,HIF-1 signaling,and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathways.CONCLUSION PGK1 expression is a research hotspot and frontier direction in the BC field.PGK1 may play a strong role in promoting cancer in TNBC by mediating metabolism and HIF-1 signaling pathways.

Violence against Women with Breast Neoplasms

The aim of this study is to assess the occurrence and type of violence suffered by women with breast cancer in the High Complexity Care Unit of a municipality in the South of Minas and patients in a support group of the University of the South of Minas Gerais. For that aim, a descriptive-exploratory methodology was applied through the quantitative method. Data were collected through a semi-structured form applied in individual interviews over a period of three months. We interviewed 57 patients and among those, 20 women （35.08%） reported having experienced some form of violence at some stage of their life, and the most frequently mentioned was the psychological violence followed by physical aggression. Although it was possible to identify that violence against affected these women, complaints against the aggressor were not affected.

The accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound in evaluating the size of early-stage breast neoplasms

Objective Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women. Accurate evaluation of the size and extent of the tumor is crucial in selecting a suitable surgical method for patients with breast cancer. Both overestimation and underestimation have important adverse effects on patient care. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of breast magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) and ultrasound(US) examination for measuring the size and extent of early-stage breast neoplasms.Methods The longest diameter of breast tumors in patients with T_(1–2)N_(0–1)M_0 invasive breast cancer preparing for breast-conserving surgery(BCS) was measured preoperatively by using both MRI and US and their accuracy was compared with that of postoperative pathologic examination. If the diameter difference was within 2 mm, it was considered to be consistent with pathologic examination.Results A total of 36 patients were imaged using both MRI and US. The mean longest diameter of the tumors on MRI, US, and postoperative pathologic examination was 20.86 mm ± 4.09 mm(range: 11–27 mm), 16.14 mm ± 4.91 mm(range: 6–26 mm), and 18.36 mm ± 3.88 mm(range: 9–24 mm). US examination underestimated the size of the tumor compared to that determined using pathologic examination(t = 3.49, P < 0.01), while MRI overestimated it(t =-6.35, P < 0.01). The linear correlation coefficients between the image measurements and pathologic tumor size were r = 0.826(P < 0.01) for MRI and r = 0.645(P < 0.01) for US. The rate of consistency of MRI and US compared to that with pathologic examination was 88.89% and 80.65%, respectively, and there was no statistically significant difference between them(χ~2 = 0.80, P > 0.05).Conclusion MRI and US are both effective methods to assess the size of breast tumors, and they maintain good consistency with pathologic examination. MRI has a better correlation with pathology. However, we should be careful about the risk of inaccurate size estimation.

Cavitary Pulmonary Metastases: CT Features and Their Correlation with the Pathology of the Primary Malignancy

Objective: To study CT features of cavitary pulmonary metastases and to investigate the pos- sible relationship between CT features and the pathology of the primary lesions. Methods: CT ?ndings of 131 cavitary metastatic nodules in 40 patients with pathologically-proved pulmonary metastases were retrospectively analyzed. A comparison between CT signs and the pathologic types of the primary tumors was made. Results: Cavitary metastases and multiple solid nodules coexisted in all patients. Cavitary metastases presented as bubble (n=41), irregular (n=33), cystic (n=26) or small circular (n=31) cavities, with even (n=61) or uneven (n=70) thickness of the cavity wall. Of 131 cavitary nodules, diameter less than 15 mm was seen in 44, between 15–25 mm in 66, 25–40 mm in 17 and larger than 40 mm in 4 respectively. And the wall thickness of the cavity below 4 mm, between 4–15 mm and over 15 mm was respectively seen in 69, 44 and 18 metastatic nodules. Cavitary pulmonary metastases mainly occurred in patients whose primary malignancy was squamous cell carcinoma (n=13) or adenocarcinoma (n=22). Both squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma had its own CT characteristics. The occurrence of cavity bore no relationship to its site in the lung. Conclusion: Cavitary pulmonary metastases carries certain CT features and its occurrence is related to the pathologic type of the primary malignancy.

Early prediction of pathological outcomes to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients using automated breast ultrasound

Objective： Early assessment of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy （NAC） for breast cancer allows therapy to be individualized. The optimal assessment method has not been established. We investigated the accuracy of automated breast ultrasound （ABUS） to predict pathological outcomes after NAC. Methods： A total of 290 breast cancer patients were eligible for this study. Tumor response after 2 cycles of chemotherapy was assessed using the product change of two largest perpendicular diameters （PC） or the longest diameter change （LDC）. PC and LDC were analyzed on the axial and the coronal planes respectively. Receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curves were used to evaluate overall performance of the prediction methods. Youden＇s indexes were calculated to select the optimal cut-off value for each method. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values （PPV and NPV） and the area under the ROC curve （AUC） were calculated accordingly.Results： ypT0/is was achieved in 42 patients （14.5%） while ypT0 was achieved in 30 patients （10.3%） after NAC. All four prediction methods （PC on axial planes, LDC on axial planes, PC on coronal planes and LDC on coronal planes） displayed high AUCs （all〉0.82）, with the highest of 0.89 [95% confidence interval （95% CI）, 0.83-0.95] when mid-treatment ＆BUS was used to predict final pathological complete remission （pCR）. High sensitivities （85.7%-88.1%） were observed across all four prediction methods while high specificities （81.5%-85.1%） were observed in two methods used PC. The optimal cut-off values defined by our data replicate the WHO and the RECIST criteria. Lower AUCs were observed when mid-treatment ABUS was used to predict poor pathological outcomes. Conclusions：ABUS is a useful tool in early evaluation of pCR after NAC while less reliable when predicting poor pathological outcomes.

Clinicopathological predictors of long-term benefit in breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy

AIM To investigate the survival impact of clinicopathological factors, including pathological complete response(p CR) and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes(s TIL) levels according to subtypes, in breast cancer(BC) patients who received neo-adjuvant chemotherapy(NAC).METHODS We evaluated 435 BC patients who presented and received NAC at the Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplasicas from 2003 to 2014. s TIL was analyzed as the proportion of tumor stroma occupied by lymphocytes, and was prospectively evaluated on hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections of the preN AC core biopsy. p CR was considered in the absence of infiltrating cancer cells in primary tumor and axillary lymph nodes. Analysis of statistical association between clinical pathological features, s TIL, p CR and survival were carried out using SPSSvs19.RESULTS Median age was 49 years(range 24-84 years) and the most frequent clinical stage was ⅢB(58.3%). Luminal A, Luminal B, HER2-enriched and(triple-negative) TN phenotype was found in 24.6%, 37.9%, 17.7% and 19.8%, respectively. p CR was observed in 11% and median percentage of s TIL was 40%(2%-95%) in the whole population. p CR was associated to Ct1-2(P = 0.045) and to high s TIL(P = 0.029) in the whole population. There was a slight trend towards significance for s TIL(P = 0.054) in Luminal A. s TIL was associated with grade Ⅲ(P < 0.001), no-Luminal A subtype(P < 0.001), RE-negative(P < 0.001), PgR-negative(P < 0.001), HER2-positive(P = 0.002) and p CR(P = 0.029) in the whole population. Longer disease-free survival was associated with grade Ⅰ-Ⅱ(P = 0.006), cN 0(P < 0.001), clinical stage Ⅱ(P = 0.004), ER-positive(P < 0.001), Pg R-positive(P < 0.001), luminal A(P < 0.001) and p CR(P = 0.002). Longer disease-free survival was associated with grade Ⅰ-Ⅱ in Luminal A(P < 0.001), N0-1 in Luminal A(P = 0.045) and TNBC(P = 0.01), clinical stage Ⅱ in Luminal A(P = 0.003) and TNBC(P = 0.038), and pC R in TNBC(P < 0.001). Longer overall survival was associated with grade Ⅰ-Ⅱ(P < 0.001), ER-positive(P < 0.001), PgR-positive(P < 0.001), Luminal A(P < 0.001), cN 0(P = 0.002) and p CR(P = 0.002) in the whole population. Overall survival was associated with clinical stage Ⅱ(P = 0.017) in Luminal A, older age(P = 0.042) in Luminal B, and pC R in TNBC(P = 0.005).CONCLUSION Predictive and prognostic values of clinicopathological features, like p CR and s TIL, differ depending on the evaluated molecular subtype.

Unfavorable Pathological Complete Response Rate of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Epirubicin plus Taxanes for Locally Advanced Triple-negative Breast Cancer

Anthracycline-Taxane chemotherapy is widely used in neoadjuvant treatment for breast cancers. However, there is limited data reported in patients with triple negative breast cancer （TNBC）. Here, we evaluated the pathologic responses and survival of neoadjuvant epirubicin and taxanes chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced TNBC to provide some useful information for clinical practice. A total of 43 patients with locally advanced TNBC were enrolled in this study. Patients were administered with epirubicin 75 mg/m^2 plus paclitaxel 175 mg/m^2 or docetaxel 75 mg/m^2 every 3 weeks for at least 2 cycles. The primary endpoint was pathologic complete response （pCR）, which was defined as no residual invasive cancer, or only carcinoma in situ in both the excised breast and axillary lymph node, while relapse-free survival （RFS） and overall survival （OS） were secondary endpoints. Thirty-nine （90.7%） patients were at clinical stages II B-IIIC. Thirty-seven （86%） completed 4-6 cycles of preop- erative chemotherapy, and objective response rate （ORR） was 81.4% （35/43）. Forty-two patients un- derwent radical surgery subsequently. The pCR rate was 14.3% （6/42）. The most common adverse events in neoadjuvant chemotherapy were nausea/vomiting （88.4%, 38/43） and neutropenia （88.4%）. After a median follow-up period of 34.0 months, 3-year RFS and OS rate was 53.6% and 80.1%, respectively. All events of recurrence and death occurred in non-pCR patients, in whom the 3-year RFS and OS rates were 44.3% and 76.6%, respectively. This study suggest that neoadjuvant chemotherapy with epirubicin plus taxanes has a relatively low pCR rate and high early recurrence risk in locally ad- vanced TNBC, which indicates the necessity for more efficacious treatment. Further study is needed to validate these results.

Intraductal papillary-mucinous neoplasia of the pancreas:Histopathology and molecular biology

Intraductal papillary-mucinous neoplasm(IPMN) of the pancreas is a clinically and morphologically distinctive precursor lesion of pancreatic cancer,characterized by gradual progression through a sequence of neoplastic changes.Based on the nature of the constituting neoplastic epithelium,degree of dysplasia and location within the pancreatic duct system,IPMNs are divided in several types which differ in their biological properties and clinical outcome.Molecular analysis and recent animal studies suggest that IPMNs develop in the context of a field-defect and reveal their possible relationship with other neoplastic precursor lesions of pancreatic cancer.

Clinical and pathological features and risk factors for primary breast cancer patients

BACKGROUND Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women all around the world.According to the latest statistics in 2018,there were more than 2.08 million new breast cancer cases all around the world and more than 620000 deaths;the proportion of breast cancer deaths in women with cancer is 15%.By studying age,clinicopathological characteristics and molecular classification,age at menarche,age at birth,number of births,number of miscarriages,lactation time,surgical history of benign breast lesions,history of gynecological diseases,and other factors,we retrospectively summarized and compared the disease history of patients with primary breast cancer and patients with benign thyroid tumors admitted to our hospital in the past 10 years to explore the clinicopathological characteristics and risk factors for primary breast cancer.AIM To investigate the clinical and pathological features and risk factors for primary breast cancer treated at our center in order to provide a reference for the prevention and treatment of breast cancer in the Zhuhai-Macao region.METHODS Through a retrospective case-control study,149 patients with primary breast cancer diagnosed and treated at Zhuhai Hospital of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2013 to March 2020 were included as a case group,and 165 patients with benign breast tumors diagnosed and treated from January 2019 to March 2020 were included as a control group.The data collected included age,age at menarche,age at first birth,number of births,number of miscarriages,lactation time,history of surgery for benign breast lesions,history of familial malignant tumors,history of gynecological diseases,history of thyroid diseases,and the tumor characteristics of the patients in the case group including pathological diagnosis,pathological type,tumor size,lymph node metastasis,distant metastasis,stage,and molecular classification,among others.In the case group,the chi-square test was used to analyze the clinical and pathological features of patients in three age groups(<40,40-59,and≥60 years).A multifactor logistic regression analysis was used to analyze correlations between the two groups.RESULTS Among 149 patients with primary breast cancer,the average age was 48.20±12.06 years,and the proportion of patients at 40-59 years old was the highest,accounting for 61.8%of cases.The molecular type was mainly luminal B type,accounting for 69.2%of cases,and at the time of diagnosis,the tumor stage was mainly stage I/II,accounting for 62.4%of cases.There were no statistically significant differences in the distributions of tumor location,pathological type,tumor size,lymph node metastasis,stage,or molecular classification among the three age groups(<40,40-59,and≥60 years)(P≥0.05).The differences in the distribution of distant metastasis among the three age groups(<40,40-59,and≥60 years)were statistically significant(P<0.01).The differences in lactation time,history of familial malignant tumors,history of gynecological diseases,and history of thyroid diseases between the two groups were not statistically significant(P≥0.05).The differences in age at disease diagnosis,age at menarche,and history of surgery for benign breast lesions were statistically significant(P<0.01).The difference in age at first birth was also statistically significant(P<0.05).CONCLUSION The highest incidence of breast cancer in the Zhuhai-Macao region is present among women aged 40-59 years.There is a larger proportion of stage I/II patients,and the luminal B type is the most common molecular subtype.Distant metastasis occurs mainly in the≥60-year-old group at the first diagnosis;increased age,late age at menarche,and late age at first birth may be risk factors for primary breast cancer,and a history of surgery for benign breast lesions may be a protective factor for primary breast cancer.

Histopathological Features of Invasion of Breast Invasive Ductal Carcinoma and Safety of Breast-conserving Surgery

In order to investigate the relationship between the extent of tumor invasion and the tumor size, axillary lymph nodes metastasis, Her-2 gene overexpression, and histologic grading in breast invasive ductal carcinoma as well as the optimal extent of excision during the breast-serving surgery, the clinical data of 104 patients with breast invasive ductal carcinoma who had received modified radical mastectomy were analyzed. The correlation analysis on invasive extent, which was evaluated by serial sections at an interval of 0.5 cm from 4 different directions taking the focus as the centre, and the tumor size, axillary lymph nodes metastasis, Her-2 gene overexpression, and his- tologic grading was processed. There was a significant correlation between invasive extent and tumor size （r=-0.766, P〈0.01）, and lymph nodes metastases 0=0.574, P〈0.01）, but there was no significant correlation between invasive extent and Her-2 expression （r=-0.106, P〉0.05）, and histologic grading （r=-0.228, P〉0.05）. The 100% negative rate of infiltration in patients without nipple discharge with tumor size 〈2, 2-3 and 〉3 cm was obtained at 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 cm away from the tumor respectively. It is concluded that the performance of breast-serving surgery in patients with breast invasive ductal carcinoma should be evaluated by tumor size in combination with axillary lymph nodes involvement to decide the possibility of breast-serving and the secure excision extent.

Clinicopathological analysis of early-stage breast cancer patients that meet indications for BRCA 1/2 genetic testing

Objective:To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic factors of early-stage breast cancer patients with indications for breast cancer susceptibility genes 1/2(BRCA1/2)genetic testing in China.Methods:Based on the indication criteria for BRCA genetic testing specified in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network(NCCN)clinical practice guidelines in oncology,genetic/familial high-risk assessment:Breast and ovarian(Version 2.2019),a retrospective analysis was performed on patients with early-stage invasive breast cancer treated at Breast Disease Center,Peking University First Hospital between January 2008 and December 2016.Clinicopathological characteristics of all patients were analyzed,and prognoses were calculated using the KaplanMeier method and a Cox proportionate hazards model.Results:A total of 906 early-stage breast cancer patients who had indications for BRCA genetic testing and had complete clinicopathological data and follow-up information were included in the study group,accounting for34.7%of all breast cancer patients treated in Breast Disease Center,Peking University First Hospital during the study period.Compared with breast cancer patients without indications for BRCA genetic testing,the overall survival(OS)and disease-free survival(DFS)of patients with indications were not significantly different.In the study group,patients with premenopausal status,high T stage,lymph node positive,estrogen receptor(ER)negative,Ki-67>20%and presence of a vascular tumor thrombus had worse prognosis.There were more family histories of gastrointestinal cancer in patients with related indications than in patients without such indications.Conclusions:Single-center data showed that more than 30%of patients with early-stage breast cancer had indications for BRCA genetic testing.There was no prognostic difference in patients with or without indications for BRCA genetic testing.Premenopausal status,high T stage,lymph node positive,ER negative,Ki-67>20%,and presence of a vascular tumor thrombus were associated with poor prognosis.