Is sentinel lymph node biopsy necessary for the patients diagnosed with breast ductal carcinoma in situ using core needle biopsy or vacuum-assisted biopsy as the initial diagnostic method？

Axillary lymph node status is one of the most important prognostic indicator of survival for breast cancer, especially in ductal carcinoma in situ （DCIS）. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether sentinel lymph node biopsy （SLNB） should be performed in patients with an initial diagnosis of DCIS. Methods： A retrospective study was performed of 124 patients with an initial diagnosis of DCIS between March 2000 and June 2014. The patients were treated with either SLNB or axillary node dissection during the surgery, and we compared the clinicopathologic characteristics, image features, and immunohistochemical results. Results： Eighty-two patients （66.1%） had pure DCIS and 25 （20.2%） had DCIS with microinvasion （DCISM）, 17 （13.7%） updated to invasive breast cancer （IBC）. 115 patients （92.7%） underwent SLNB, among them, 70 patients （56.5%） underwent axillary node dissection. 3 of 115 patients （2.6%） had a positive sentinel lymph node, only 1 （1.4%） of 70 patients had axillary lymph node metastasis, in 84 patients （66.7%） who were diagnosed DCIS by core needle biopsy （CNB） and vacuum-assisted biopsy （VAB）. 26 patients （31.0%） were upstaged into IBC or DCISM in the final histological diagnosis. The statistically significant factors predictive of underestimation were large tumor size, microcalcifications, comedo necrosis, positive Her-2 status, negative estrogen receptor status. Conclusion： The metastasis of sentinel lymph nodes in pure DCIS is very low, but the underestimation of invasive carcinoma in patients with an initial diagnosis of DCIS is an usual incident, especially in the cases when DCIS is diagnosed by CNB or VAB. Our findings suggest patients presenting with a preoperative diagnosis of DCIS associated with large tumor sizes, microcalcifications, comedo necrosis, positive Her-2 status, negative ER status are more likely to be DCISM and IBC in final diagnosis. SLNB should be performed in this part of patients.

Preoperational diagnosis and management of breast ductal carcinoma in situ arising within fibroadenoma:Two case reports

BACKGROUND Ductal carcinoma in situ(DCIS)arising within fibroadenoma is a type of tumor that is rarely encountered in clinic,with only about 100 cases of carcinoma arising within a fibroadenoma reported in the literature.Here,we present two cases of breast DCIS arising within a fibroadenoma and discuss their clinical and imaging findings as well as treatment.CASE SUMMARY The patients did not have cancer-related personal and family histories.Case 1(a 49-year-old woman)was diagnosed with a bilateral breast nodule in May 2018 and was followed(preoperative imaging data including ultrasound and mammography)for 3 years;she underwent an excisional biopsy to address an enlargement in nodule size.Case 2(a 37-year-old woman)was diagnosed with a left breast nodule in June 2021 and consequently received vacuum-assisted biopsy of the tumor which appeared as“irregularly shaped”and“unevenly textured”tissue on ultrasound.The pathological diagnosis was clear in both cases.Both patients underwent breast-conserving surgery and sentinel lymph node biopsy.The two cases received or planned to receive radiotherapy as well as endocrine therapy(tamoxifen).CONCLUSION Breast DCIS arising within a fibroadenoma is rare,but patients treated with radiotherapy and endocrine therapy can have good prognosis.

DUCTAL CARCINOMA IN SITU OF THE BREAST

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics, treatment and prognosis of ductal carcinomain situ (DCIS) of the breast. Methods: Clinicopathological and follow-up data were collected in 52 patients with DCIS. Results: The clinic data showed that 50 patients had signs of breast lumps or/and nipple discharges, 2 patients presented abnormal mammography; 2 patients had lymph node involved; and 14 patients were accompanied with intraductal papillomatosis. All patients were received surgical therapy. The follow-up data showed 1 patient locally recurred after lumpectomy, and was underwent mastectomy again, then cured. There were no patients died of DCIS. Conclusion: Mastectomy should be a standard surgical mode, and the prognosis of DCIS was favorable, but mammography for screening of asymptomatic women should be strengthened to find DCIS.

Histological Grading in Ductal Carcinoma in Situ of the Breast

Objective: To study the significance of histological grading as a prognostic factor in ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast. Methods: According to the Van Nuy’s classification, 32 cases of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast were divided into three groups. Results: Low grade (well differentiated, low grade DCIS) 12 patients (37.5%); Intermediate grade, 9 patients (28.1%); High grade (poorly differentiated DCIS) 11 patients (34.4%). Among the high grade DCIS, the histologic subtypes were comedo (9 patients), micropapillary (1 patient) and solid (1 patient). The positive expression of c-erbB-2, p53 and MIB-1 in high grade DCIS was higher than that in intermediate and low grade DCIS. The difference between high grade and low grade DCIS was significant (p<0.05). The expression of ER in high grade DCIS was lower than that in intermediate and low grade DCIS. Conclusions: Histological grading of breast ductal carcinoma in situ may be a good prognostic factor.

Comparison of the underestimation rate in cases with ductal carcinoma in situ at ultrasound-guided core biopsy: 14-gauge automated core-needle biopsy vs 11-gauge vacuum-assisted biopsy

Objective： The objective of this study was to compare the underestimation rate of invasive carcinoma cases with ductal carcinoma in situ （DCIS） at percutaneous ultrasound-guided core biopsies of breast lesions between 14-gauge automated core needle biopsy （ACNB） and 11-gauge vacuum-assisted biopsy （VAB）, and analyze the diagnostic advantages and insufficiencies in DCIS between this two methods, and to determine the relationship between the lesion type （masses or microcalcifications on radiological findings ） and DCIS underestimation rate. Methods： We collected 152 breast lesions which were diagnosed as DCIS by retrospectively reviewing data about ultrasound-guided biopsies of breast lesions （from February 2003 to July 2010）. There were 98 lesions in 95 patients by 14-gauge ACNB, and 54 lesions in 52 patients by 11-gauge VAB （The system used in this study called Mammatome, MMT）. The clinical and radiological findings were reviewed; meanwhile all the selected patients had histological results of the biopsies and follow-up surgeries which also achieved the reliable pathological results to compare with the biopsy results. The differences between two correlated histological results defined as underestimation, and the histological DCIS underestimation rates were compared between the two groups. According to the radiological characteristics, each group was classified into two subgroups （masses or micrecalcifications group）, and the differences between subgroups were also analyzed. Results： The DCIS underestimation rate was 45.9% （45/98） for 14-gauge ACNB and 16.6% （9/54） for MMT. According to the lesion type on ultrasonography, DCIS underestimation was 31.0% （26/84） in masses （43.1% using ACNB and 12.1% using MMT; P = 0.003） and 42.6% （29/68） in microcalcifications （48.9% using ACNB and 23,8% using MMT; P = 0,036）, Conclusion： The underestimation rate of invasive carcinoma in cases with DCIS at ultrasound-guided core biopsies is significantly higher for ACNB than for MMT. Furthermore, this difference does not alter among the two lesion types presented on ultrasonography. So ultrasound-guided VAB （MMT system） could be an effective and useful method for the diagnosis of DCIS lesions no matter what the lesion type is.

Expression of E2F-1, Rb and ER in Peripheral Papil-loma and Ductal Carcinoma in Situ of the Breast and its Significance

OBJECTIVE To investigate the correlation of E2F-1, Rb and ER expression with peripheral papilloma （Peri-PM） and ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast （DCIS）, and further explore some molecular mechanisms of the canceratin of Peri-PM.METHODS Imunohistochemistry was used to examine the expression of E2F-1, Rb and ER in 60 Peri-PM, 60 Peri-PM with atypical ductal hyperplasia （Peri-PM with ADH） and 60 DCIS. Normal breast tissues were selected as a control group.RESULTS Based on immunohistochemical staining, the positive rate of E2F-1 expression in Peri-PM, Peri-PM with ADH and DCIS was 21.7%, 46.7% and 78.3% respectively. The positive rate of Rb expression was 83.3 %, 53.9% and 21.7% and the ER expression was 86.7%,61.7% and 55.0%. Significant differences were found among the 3 groups （Peri-PM, Peri-PM with ADH and DCIS） （P〈0.05）. Significant differences existed between any 2 groups （P〈0.05） except for the rate of ER positive expression comparing Peri-PM with ADH verus DCIS （P〉0.05）. The expression of E2F-1 was nega- tively correlated with ER and Rb, and at the same time the expression of ER was positively correlated with Rb. Following the degree of breast epithelial hyperplasia involved and its development into carcinoma, the positive rate of E2F-1 expression displayed an elevating tendency, but that of Rb and ER expression showed a tendency to decline.CONCLUSION The interaction of the 3 indexes studied may play an important role in the conversion of precancerous lesions to early in situ breast carcinoma, and the evaluation of these indexes might provide a valuable basis for screening high-risk cases of Peri-PM.

The Impact of Ethnicity on the Incidence, Tumor Characteristics and Treatment of Ductal Carcinoma in Situ—An 11-Year Clinical Experience at a High Volume Teaching Hospital

Introduction: Screening mammography has led to a marked increase in detection of in situ breast tumors in the United States. The University of Southern California/Van Nuys Prognostic Index (USC/VNPI) predicts the recurrence rates of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS);however variations in tumor characteristics, USC/VNPI scores, receptor and human epithelial growth factor receptor (HER)-2/neu status across different ethnicities/races have not been well studied. This study aimed to evaluate the racial trends in incidence, patient demographics, tumor characteristics and treatment variations for patients with DCIS at a high volume teaching hospital. Methods: 395 women underwent surgical intervention for DCIS between 2000 and 2011. Their race/ethnicity was divided into five mutually exclusive categories and demographic and clinicopathological data was collected. Multivariate analysis was performed to evaluate variations in patient and tumor factors with respect to age, size and surgical management among different ethnicities and races. Results: 82.1% of Caucasian women underwent simple mastectomy with sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) while lumpectomy with SLNB was highest in Hispanics (40%, p = 0.005). Overall, there was no significant difference in the incidence of receptor or HER-2/neu positivity, multicentricity, necrosis or grade of DCIS in the various racial groups, but there was a significant racial difference in the USC/VNPI scores (p < 0.001). Conclusion: On a community level, screening detected DCIS accounted for the vast majority of DCIS diagnosed, which reflected national trends. Although no racial variation in DCIS with respect to patient or tumor characteristics was observed, a racial difference in USC/VNPI score was identified among the Hispanic population. Additional studies are required to validate the significance of these findings.

Detection and Clinical Significance of Peripheral Blood CTC, CA125, CA153, and CEA Levels in Patients with Ductal Carcinoma in situ

Objective:To explore the detection and clinical significance of peripheral blood CTC,CA125,CA153,and CEA levels in patients with DCIS.Methods:210 patients who received surgical treatment for breast cancer in our hospital from January 2019 to December 2022 were selected as the research subjects.According to the postoperative pathology,100 cases were divided into breast cancer and 110 benign breast tumor groups.One hundred ten healthy patients undergoing physical examination during the same period were selected as the control group.CA153,CA125,and CEA levels were observed in the three groups.Results:The levels of CA153,CA125,and CEA in the breast cancer group were significantly higher than those in the benign breast tumor group and the control group(P<0.05);the levels of CA153,CA125,and CEA in the benign breast tumor group were all higher than those in the control group,but the differences were not statistically significant;among the three tumor markers,CA153 has the highest sensitivity at 39.00%,CA125 has the second highest sensitivity at 18.00%,and CEA has the lowest sensitivity at 17.00%;The sensitivity of the two joint tests of CA153+CA125,CA153+CEA,and CA125+CEA for the diagnosis of breast cancer were 50.00%,48.00%,and 26.00%respectively;the sensitivity of the three joint tests is the highest,reaching 53.00%,while the specificity of the joint tests was lower than the individual tests.Conclusion:Detection of peripheral blood CTC,CA125,CA153,and CEA levels has specific reference significance for the treatment and prognosis of DCIS patients.

Clinicopathological characteristics,treatments,and prognosis of breast ductal carcinoma in situ with microinvasion:A narrative review

Background:Ductal carcinoma in situ with microinvasion(DCIS-MI)is defined as ductal carcinoma in situ(DCIS)with a microscopic invasive focus≤1 mm in the longest diameter.The current literature is controversial concerning the clinical prognostic features and management of DCIS-MI.This narrative review described recently reported literature regarding the characteristics,treatment,and prognosis of it.Methods:Searching PubMed for relevant articles covering the period of 1982 to 2021 using the following terms by MeSH and free-word:breast cancer,microinvasion,DCIS,DCIS-MI,and invasive ductal carcinoma(IDC).Results:DCIS-MI tends to express more aggressive pathological features such as necrosis,HER2+,ER-or PR-,and high nuclear grade.The overall prognosis of DCIS-MI is typically good,however,some indicators such as young age,HR-,HER2+and multimicroinvasive lesions,were associated with worse prognoses.And there are also conflicting results on the differences between the prognoses of DCIS-MI and DCIS or T1a-IDC.Postoperative chemotherapy and anti-HER2 therapy still have uncertain benefits and are more likely to be used to treat high-risk patients who are HR-orHER2+to improve the prognosis.Conclusion:DCIS-MI has more aggressive pathological features,which may suggest its biological behavior is worse than that of DCIS and similar to early IDC.Although the overall prognosis of DCIS-MI is good,when making decisions about adjuvant therapy clinicians need to give priority to the hormone receptor status,HER2 expression and axillary lymph node status of patients,because these may affect the prognosis and treatment response.

Prognostic signifi cance of transcription factors FOXA1 and GATA-3 in ductal carcinoma in situ in terms of recurrence and estrogen receptor status

Aim:The aim was to analyze the expression of novel biological transcription markers,forkhead-box A1(FOXA1),GATA binding protein 3(GATA-3),and established markers such as Ki-67(MIB-1)and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2)in estrogen receptor(ER(+))and ER(-)ductal carcinoma in situ(DCIS)patients with/without recurrence.Methods:Two hundred and ninety-one cases of DCIS were retrieved from our pathology database,with complete data available for 219 cases.The follow-up period is from 1988 to 2009.Recurrence is defined in terms of DCIS or invasive carcinoma(IC).No recurrence was seen in 88%(196/219)of cases;12%(26/219)had a recurrence(IC:13,DCIS:13).We are reporting the results of biological marker expression in terms of recurrence and ER status.Results:Our study demonstrates strong expression of GATA-3 in the ER(+)DCIS in recurrence and nonrecurrence groups similar to previously described in IC.A reduced expression of GATA-3 was observed in ER(-)recurrence and nonrecurrence groups.A strong HER2 protein expression,as well as high proliferation index,was seen in recurrence group(DCIS and IC).FOXA1 expression is reduced across the groups though not statistically signifi cant.Conclusion:This is the first study to analyze novel transcription markers FOXA1 and GATA-3 in DCIS.Further work needs to be done on a larger cohort of DCIS cases with recurrence to better understand,which variables are best able to predict recurrence and guide therapy decision strategies.Maintenance of FOXA1 and GATA-3 expression in ER(-)DCIS may offer new promising targets for therapy in future.

Low-Grade and High-Grade Invasive Ductal Carcinomas of the Breast Follow Divergent routes of Progression

Low-grade invasive ductal carcinoma is almost diploid, and has frequent losses of chromosome 16q, which is shared by other precancerous lesions of the mammary gland such as flat epithelial atypia （FEA）, atypical ductal hyperplasia （ADH）, and lownuclear grade ductal carcinoma in situ （DCIS）. The genetic alterations accumulate in a stepwise fashion as the precancerous lesions progress to invasve ductal carcinoma. This supports the linear progression model of breast cancer from FEA, through ADH, to low- nuclear grade DCIS as non-obligate early events in low-grade IDC evolution. In contrast, high-grade carcinoma tends to aneuploidy with complex genetic alterations--most importantly, frequent gains at chromosome 16q. Frequent losses at chromosome 16q in low-grade IDC and gains in the same arm of the same chromosome in high-grade IDC imply that these lesions are two end outcomes of different disease processes and that they do not lie in the same continuum of a process. Therefore, low-grade and high-grade IDC are two distinct diseases with a divergent route of progression.

Roles of micro RNA-140 in stem cell-associated early stage breast cancer

An increasing body of evidence supports a stepwise model for progression of breast cancer from ductal carcinoma in situ(DCIS) to invasive ductal carcinoma(IDC). Due to the high level of DCIS heterogeneity, we cannot currently predict which patients are at highest risk for disease recurrence or progression. The mechanisms of progression are still largely unknown, however cancer stem cell populations in DCIS lesions may serve as malignant precursor cells intimately involved in progression. While genetic and epigenetic alterations found in DCIS are often shared by IDC, m RNA and mi RNA expression profiles are significantly altered. Therapeutic targeting of cancer stem cell pathways and differentially expressed mi RNA could have significant clinical benefit. As tumor grade increases, mi RNA-140 is progressively downregulated. mi R-140 plays an important tumor suppressive role in the Wnt, SOX2 and SOX9 stem cell regulator pathways. Downregulation of mi R-140 removes inhibition of these pathways, leading to higher cancer stem cell populations and breast cancer progression. mi R-140 downregulation is mediated through both an estrogen response element in the mi R-140 promoter region and differential methylation of Cp G islands. These mechanisms are novel targets for epigenetic therapy to activate tumor suppressor signaling via mi R-140. Additionally, we briefly explored the emerging role of exosomes in mediating intercellular mi R-140 signaling. The purpose of this review is to examine the cancer stem cell signaling pathways involved in breast cancer progression, and the role of dysregulation of mi R-140 in regulating DCIS to IDC transition.

Breast Conserving Surgery: Has the Standard of Care Enhanced Outcomes for Patients?

Breast Conserving Surgery (BCS) is a rapidly emerging field increasingly adopted to facilitate breast conservation and preserve breast aesthetics. Since the publication of the Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) of Breast Conserving Surgery versus mastectomy in early breast cancer, the adoption of BCS for breast cancer patients’ surgical management has been comprehensive. A computerized bibliographic search was performed on PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Google Scholar and Cochrane library databases. This article aims to perform a thorough review of new data regarding invasive cancer and margins while evaluating patient outcomes related to BCS after neoadjuvant chemotherapy focusing on margins, imaging evaluation, the extent of resection, and local regional recurrence outcomes. The growth pattern and biopsy of Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) differ from invasive cancer, impacting margins. It is essential to understand how the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) DCIS margin guideline has influenced practice. Early breast cancer surgical management should be unique to each patient, driven by evidence-based medicine, and focused on specific clinical, histological, and molecular characteristics of the tumor. Conclusion: The current management for early breast cancer should be tailored and evidence-based to each patient based on the clinical, histological and molecular characteristics of the tumor. Presumably, the standard of care in BCS has enhanced the outcomes for this patient population. This review made by peers will help surgeons to stay up to date with the current literature and help them manage breast cancer while improving multiple clinical parameters such as Disease-Free Survival (DFS), Recurrence-Free Survival (RFS) and most importantly Overall Survival (OS).

Axillary Recurrences after Sentinel Node Surgery—Results over Ten Years in a University Hospital

Background: Sentinel node biopsy (SNB) was introduced at Ullevaal University Hospital in 2000. This article presents results from the first ten years use of the method. Material and Methods: A prospective registration of 2762 patients was made from 2000 through 2009. Results: The median follow-up time was 51 months. The overall detection rate was 93%. 36% of the patients with positive SNs had non-sentinel metastases. These were significantly associated with a macrometastatic SN and a primary tumour>20 mm. 18% of patients with sentinel metastasis≤2 mm had non-sentinel metastases. 14 patients with negative SN (0.7%) developed axillary recurrence. 32% with a preoperative diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) were upstaged to infiltrating carcinoma on final histology. None of the patients with pure DCIS had positive SNs. Conclusion: Few late events (0.7%) in SN negative axillas demonstrate the safety of the technique.

Cancer stem cells and early stage basal-like breast cancer

Ductal carcinoma in situ （DCIS） is a category of early stage, non-invasive breast tumor defined by the intraductal proliferation of malignant breast epithelial cells. DCIS is a heterogeneous disease composed of multiple molecular subtypes including luminal, HER2 and basal-like types, which are characterized by immuno-histochemical analyses and gene expression profiling. Following surgical and radiation therapies, patients with luminal-type, estrogen receptor-positive DCIS breast tumors can benefit from adjuvant endocrine-based treatment. However, there are no available targeted therapies for patients with basal-like DCIS （BL-DCIS） tumors due to their frequent lack of endocrine receptors and HER2 amplification, rendering them potentially susceptible to recurrence. Moreover, multiple lines of evidence suggest that DCIS is a non-obligate precursor of invasive breast carcinoma. This raises the possibility that targeting precursor BL-DCIS is a promising strategy to prevent BL-DCIS patients from the development of invasive basal-like breast cancer. An accumulating body of evidence demonstrates the existence of cancer stem-like cells （CSCs） in BL-DCIS, which potentially determine the features of BL-DCIS and their ability to progress into invasive cancer. This review encompasses the current knowledge in regard to the characteristics of BL-DCIS, identifcation of CSCs, and their biological properties in BL-DCIS. We summarize recently discovered relevant molecular signaling alterations that promote the generation of CSCs in BL-DCIS and the progression of BL-DCIS to invasive breast cancer, as well as the infuence of the tissue microenvironment on CSCs and the invasive transition. Finally, we discuss the translational implic-ations of these fndings for the prognosis and prevention of BL-DCIS relapse and progression.

Up to Date Management of DCIS and Future Directions

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a non-invasive malignancy confined within the basement membrane of the breast ductal system. There is a lot of disparity in the natural history of DCIS with an estimated incidence of progression to invasive ductal carcinoma between 20% to 53% over ten or more years after initial diagnosis. The surgical and adjuvant management of DCIS has advanced significantly in the last couple of decades. Nonetheless, surgeons, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists, along with their patients, still depend on conventional clinical and pathologic risk factors to make management decisions. Irrespective of the management strategy, long-term survival is excellent. The debate around DCIS relates to preventing either under-treatment or over-treatment. In this paper, we will review the incidence and management options of DCIS. Additionally, we will focus on several current disputes related to the management of DCIS, including breast conserving surgery, the role of radiation in breast conservation surgery, sentinel node biopsy in DCIS, hormonal therapy, various risk stratification schemes, and the option of active surveillance for low-risk DCIS.

Clonal Analysis of Peripheral Papilloma and Cancerous Cells of the Breast

OBJECTIVE Because almost all malignancies represent monoclonal proliferations, we have studied the clonal status of peripheral papillomas （peri-PM）, ductal carcinomas in situ （DCIS）, and normal breast tissues to explore a reliable way to distinguish benign and malignant （or pre-malignant） cases previously diagnosed morphologically. METHODS Twenty-six cases of peri-PM, 25 cases of peri-PM with atypical ductal hyperplasia （ADH）, 27 cases of DCIS, 16 cases of developed canceration and 20 specimens of normal tissue were examined in the study. The clonal status of these tissues was studied using an assay based on inactivation mosaicism of the lenth-polymorphic X-chromosomes at the androgen receptor （AR） locus. RESULTS Loss of polymorphism at the AR locus was found in all DCIS cases and 10 cases （10/25, 40.0%） of peri-PM with ADH, in.dicating the monoclonality of the tumors. Twenty-four out of 26 （92.3%） cases with peri- PM and 19 specimens of normal tissue were shown to be polyclonal. In 16 cases of developed Canceration, identical X chromosome inactivation （monoclonal alterations） was observed from both the peri-PM with ADH part, and the DCIS part in each Case. CONCLUSION These results contribute to the understanding of the genetic changes of peri-PM, and confirm the peri-PM with ADH as a precancerous lesion of the breast. Clonal analysis might be a useful modality to screen high-risk cases from precancerous lesions or to distinguish between benign hyperplasia and early carcinoma.

Application of Dual-Energy Computed Tomography for Breast Cancer Diagnosis

The present study aimed to investigate the possibility of using dual-energy computed tomography (CT) before therapy to discriminate between normal breast tissue and tumor tissue in patients with breast cancer, without the need to use a contrast medium. The following patient data were extracted by interview and from the hospital’s radiology information system: height, weight, age, menstrual cycle, CT images of normal tissue and tumors with or without contrast medium, and the histopathological diagnosis of the aspiration biopsy. The median age of the 43 participants was 56 years (range, 30 - 80 years). The CT values were evaluated using a clinical analytical program based on the three-material decomposition technique. Breast cancer was classified into ductal carcinoma in situ, invasive ductal carcinoma, invasive lobular carcinoma, fibromatosis-like metaplastic carcinoma, and apocrine carcinoma. In all conditions, regardless of contrast medium, the CT values of tumor tissues were higher than those of normal breast tissue, indicating the effectiveness of dual-energy CT (DE-CT) in the diagnosis of breast cancer. By contrast, DE-CT showed limited potential for distinguishing ductal carcinoma in situ from invasive ductal carcinoma. There have only been a few reports regarding CT examination of breast cancer, and it is expected this study encourage the development of DE-CT imaging to improve tumor detection in patients with breast cancer.

Serum semaphorin 4C as a diagnostic biomarker in breast cancer:A multicenter retrospective study

Background:To date,there is no approved blood-based biomarker for breast cancer detection.Herein,we aimed to assess semaphorin 4C(SEMA4C),a pivotal protein involved in breast cancer progression,as a serum diagnostic biomarker.Methods:We included 6,213 consecutive inpatients from Tongji Hospital,Qilu Hospital,and Hubei Cancer Hospital.Training cohort and two validation cohorts were introduced for diagnostic exploration and validation.A pan-cancer cohort was used to independently explore the diagnostic potential of SEMA4C among solid tumors.Breast cancer patients who underwent mass excision prior to modified radical mastectomy were also analyzed.We hypothesized that increased pretreatment serum SEMA4C levels,measured using optimized in-house enzymelinked immunosorbent assay kits,could detect breast cancer.The endpoints were diagnostic performance,including area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC),sensitivity,and specificity.Post-surgery pathological diagnosis was the reference standard and breast cancer staging followed the TNM classification.There was no restriction on disease stage for eligibilities.Results:We included 2667 inpatients with breast lesions,2378 patients with other solid tumors,and 1168 healthy participants.Specifically,118 patients with breast cancer were diagnosed with stage 0(5.71%),620 with stage I(30.00%),966 with stage II(46.73%),217 with stage III(10.50%),and 8 with stage IV(0.39%).Patients with breast cancer had significantly higher serum SEMA4C levels than benign breast tumor patients and normal controls(P<0.001).Elevated serum SEMA4C levels had AUC of 0.920(95%confidence interval[CI]:0.900–0.941)and 0.932(95%CI:0.911–0.953)for breast cancer detection in the two validation cohorts.The AUCs for detecting early-stage breast cancer(n=366)and ductal carcinoma in situ(n=85)were 0.931(95%CI:0.916–0.946)and 0.879(95%CI:0.832–0.925),respectively.Serum SEMA4C levels significantly decreased after surgery,and the reduction was more striking after modified radical mastectomy,compared with mass excision(P<0.001).The positive rate of enhanced serum SEMA4C levels was 84.77%for breast cancer and below 20.75%for the other 14 solid tumors.Conclusions:Serum SEMA4C demonstrated promising potential as a candidate biomarker for breast cancer diagnosis.However,validation in prospective settings and by other study groups is warranted.