Tumor deposits in axillary adipose tissue in patients with breast cancer:Do they matter?

Tumor deposits(TDs)are defined as discrete,irregular clusters of tumor cells lying in the soft tissue adjacent to but separate from the primary tumor,and are usually found in the lymphatic drainage area of the primary tumor.By definition,no residual lymph node structure should be identified in these tumor masses.At present,TDs are mainly reported in colorectal cancer,with a few reports in gastric cancer.There are very few reports on breast cancer(BC).For TDs,current dominant theories suggest that these are the result of lymph node metastasis of the tumor with complete destruction of the lymph nodes by the tumor tissue.Even some pathologists classify a TD as two lymph node metastases for calculation.Some pathologists also believe that TDs belong to the category of disseminated metastasis.Therefore,regardless of the origin,TDs are an indicator of poor prognosis.Moreover,for BC,sentinel lymph node biopsy is generally used at present.Whether radical axillary lymph node dissection should be adopted for BC with TDs in axillary lymph nodes is still inconclusive.The present commentary of this clinical issue has certain guiding significance.It is aimed to increase the awareness of the scientific community towards this under-recognized problem in BC pathology.

Provision of Fertility Preservation for Young Women with Early-Stage Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, constituting 25% of all cancer diagnoses. Even though it is only affecting 4% - 6% of women under the age of 40, it remains the most common malignancy among younger patients. Advancement in the treatment and earlier detection gives excellent 5 years of survival. However, the standard treatment that comprises surgical-chemo radiation therapy or hormonal treatment often results in an increased incidence of treatment-induced infertility. Therefore, adding fertility preservation to primary cancer treatment may offer the best opportunity for future fertility. However, despite advancements in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), the uptake of fertility services in this group remains low. In this review, we highlighted the effect of all breast cancer treatments on women’s fertility, the effectiveness and safety of ART in breast cancer patients as well as the safety of pregnancy in breast cancer survivors. Our aim is to improve awareness of fertility preservation for breast cancer to ensure all women diagnosed with breast cancer have multidisciplinary approaches with early referral to fertility specialists to discuss regarding potential risks and benefits of fertility preservation to improve the uptake of fertility preservation among this group of patients.

Resection of the primary tumor in stage Ⅳ breast cancer

Stage Ⅳ breast cancer refers to breast cancer that has already metastasized to distant regions when initially diagnosed. Treatment for stage Ⅳ is intended to "prolong survival and palliate symptoms". Resection of a primary tumor is considered to be "effective only at alleviating chest symptoms and providing local control" in spite of the advances of imaging examination and medication for breast cancer. Molecular target and endocrine drugs are very effective and useful to tailor-make a treatment strategy according to breast cancer subtypes. Positron emission tomography-computed tomography can detect and diagnose the very small metastases and recurrences which can potentially be cured even if they are distant metastases. Recently, many retrospective studies have reported the survival benefit of surgery for breast cancer patients with metastases and some clinical trials which confirm the surgical prognostic benefit for them have started to enrol patients. The goal of treatment has to be clearly identified:increase the patient's survival time, provide local control or perform histology to determine the cancer's properties. The best evidence is absolutely essential to treat patients who need surgery at the right time. We need to evaluate the treatment strategy, including primary resection for stage Ⅳ breastcancer particularly, and find new evidence by prospective analysis.

The influence of stage at diagnosis and molecular subtype on breast cancer patient survival: a hospital.based multi.center study

Background: Stage at diagnosis and molecular subtype are important clinical factors associated with breast cancer patient survival. However, subgroup survival data from a large study sample are limited in China.To estimate the survival differences among patients with different stages and various subtypes of breast cancer, we conducted a hospital-based multi-center study on breast cancer in Beijing, China.Methods: All resident patients diagnosed with primary, invasive breast cancer between January 1,2006 and December 31,2010 from four selected hospitals in Beijing were included and followed up until December 31,2015. Hospitalbased data of stage at diagnosis, hormone receptor status, and selected clinical characteristics, including body mass index(BMI), menopausal status, histological grade, and histological type, were collected from the medical records of the study subjects. Overall survival(OS) and cancer-specific survival(CSS) were estimated. Cox proportional hazards models were employed to evaluate the associations of stage at diagnosis and molecular subtype with patient survival.Results: The 5-year OS and CSS rates for all patients were 89.4% and 90.3%. Survival varied by stage and molecular subtype. The 5-year OS rates for patients with stage I, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, and IV diseases were 96.5%, 91.6%, 74.8%, and 40.7%,respectively, and the corresponding estimates of 5-year CSS rates were 97.1%, 92.6%, 75.6%, and 42.7%, respectively.The 5-year OS rates for patients with luminal A, luminal B, HER2, and triple-negative subtypes of breast cancer were92.6%, 88.4%, 83.6%, and 82.9%, respectively, and the corresponding estimates of 5-year CSS rates were 93.2%, 89.1 %,85.4%, and 83.5%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that stage at diagnosis and molecular subtype were important prognostic factors for breast cancer.Conclusions: Survival of breast cancer patients varied significantly by stage and molecular subtype. Cancer screening is encouraged for the early detection and early diagnosis of breast cancer. More advanced therapies and health care policies are needed on HER2 and triple-negative subtypes.

Prophylactic lateral pelvic lymph node dissection in stage Ⅳ low rectal cancer

AIM To assess the clinical significance of prophylactic lateral pelvic lymph node dissection (LPLND) in stage Ⅳ low rectal cancer.METHODS We selected 71 consecutive stage Ⅳ low rectal cancer patients who underwent primary tumor resection,and enrolled 50 of these 71 patients without clinical LPLN metastasis.The patients had distant metastasis such as liver,lung,peritoneum,and paraaortic LN.Clinical LPLN metastasis was defined as LN with a maximum diameter of 10 mm or more on preoperative pelvic computed tomography scan.All patients underwent primary tumor resection,27 patients underwent total mesorectal excision(TME) with LPLND(LPLND group),and 23 patients underwent only TME(TME group).Bilateral LPLND was performed simultaneously with primary tumor resection in LPLND group.R0 resection of both primary and metastatic sites was achieved in 20 of 50 patients.We evaluated possible prognostic factors for 5-year overall survival (OS),and compared 5-year cumulative local recurrence between the LPLND and TME groups.RESULTS For OS,univariate analyses revealed no significant benefit in the LPLND compared with the TME group (28.7% vs 17.0%,P = 0.523); multivariate analysis revealed that R0 resection was an independent prognostic factor.Regarding cumulative local recurrence,the LPLND group showed no significant benefit compared with TME group (21.4% vs 14.8%,P = 0.833).CONCLUSION Prophylactic LPLND shows no oncological benefits in patients with Stage Ⅳ low rectal cancer without clinical LPLN metastasis.

Radical treatment of stage Ⅳ pancreatic cancer by the combination of cryosurgery and iodine-125 seed implantation

AIM:To investigate the therapeutic effect of radical treatment and palliative treatment in stage Ⅳ pancreatic cancer patients.METHODS:81 patients were enrolled in the study.Radical treatment was performed on 51 patients,while 30 patients were put under palliative treatment.The procedural safety and interval survival for stage Ⅳ pancreatic cancer(IS-Ⅳ) was assessed by almost 2.5 years of follow-ups.The IS-Ⅳ of patients under the two kinds of treatment,and the effects of treatment timing and frequency on IS-Ⅳ,were compared.RESULTS:The IS-Ⅳ of patients who received radical treatment was significantly longer than those who received palliative treatment(P < 0.001).The IS-Ⅳ of patients who received delayed radical or palliative treatment was longer than those who received accordingly timely treatment(P = 0.0034 and 0.0415,respectively).Multiple treatments can play an important role in improving the IS-Ⅳ of patients who received radical treatment(P = 0.0389),but not for those who received palliative treatment(P = 0.99).CONCLUSION:The effect of radical treatment was significantly more obvious than that of palliative treatment,and multiple radical treatments may contribute more to patients than a single radical treatment.

Macroscopic appearance of TypeⅣand giant Type Ⅲ is a high risk for a poor prognosis in pathological stage Ⅱ/Ⅲ advanced gastric cancer with postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy

AIM To evaluate whether a high risk macroscopic appearance(Type Ⅳ and giant Type Ⅲ) is associated with a dismal prognosis after curative surgery, because its prognostic relevance remains elusive in pathological stage Ⅱ/Ⅲ(p Stage Ⅱ/Ⅲ) gastric cancer.METHODS One hundred and seventy-two advanced gastric cancer(defined as pT2 or beyond) patients with p Stage Ⅱ/Ⅲ who underwent curative surgery plus adjuvant S1 chemotherapy were evaluated, and the prognostic relevance of a high-risk macroscopic appearance was examined. RESULTS Advanced gastric cancers with a high-risk macroscopic appearance were retrospectively identified by preoperative recorded images. A high-risk macroscopic appearance showed a significantly worse relapse free survival(RFS)(35.7%) and overall survival(OS)(34%) than an average risk appearance(P = 0.0003 and P < 0.0001, respectively). A high-risk macroscopic appearance was significantly associated with the 13^(th) Japanese Gastric Cancer Association(JGCA) pT(P = 0.01), but not with the 13^(th) JGCA pN. On univariate analysis for RFS and OS, prognostic factors included 13^(th) JGCA p Stage(P < 0.0001)and other clinicopathological factors including macroscopic appearance. A multivariate Cox proportional hazards model for univariate prognostic factors identified highrisk macroscopic appearance(P = 0.036, HR = 2.29 for RFS and P = 0.021, HR = 2.74 for OS) as an independent prognostic indicator. CONCLUSION A high-risk macroscopic appearance was associated with a poor prognosis, and it could be a prognostic factor independent of 13^(th) JGCA stage in p Stage Ⅱ/Ⅲ advanced gastric cancer.

COMBINED EFFECTS OF SELECTIVE PHOTOTHERMAL THERAPY AND IMMUNOADJUVANT AGAINST STAGE IV BREAST CANCER

Metastasis to distant sites is a severe treatment challenge and a major cause of death for breast cancer patients.Laser immunotherapy(LIT)is a novel technique,combining a selective photothermal therapy with local application of glycated chitosan,a potent immunoadjuvant.The pre-clinical studies of LIT have shown its unique characteristics in generating specific antitumor immunity.The clinical application of LIT in the treatment of melanoma patients has achieved preliminary success.Recently,LIT has been used to treat late-stage breast cancer patients.Here we report for the first time the clinical results of this combination therapy in breast cancer patients.The LIT treatment procedures are presented and the medical history of two stage Ⅳ breast cancer patients is reviewed.Most of the breast cancer lesions and the metastasis of lung and brain disappeared after repeated treatments of LIT.One patient achieved complete response;the other achieved partial response at the time of this report.Although there is still a long way for LIT to become a standard modality for breast cancer treatment,the results of this study indicated its promising future.

Treatment patterns for adjuvant docetaxel-based chemotherapy in early-stage breast cancer in China：A pooled retrospective analysis of four observational studies

Objective：Adjuvant docetaxel-based chemotherapy is frequently used for operable early breast cancer（EBC）.This study investigated patterns of use of docetaxel（T）in real-life clinical practice in China.Methods：This was a retrospective pooled analysis of the Asia-Pacific Breast Initiatives（APBI）Ⅰ（2006–2008）and Ⅱ（2009–2011）registries,and two Chinese observational studies;BC STATE（2011–2014）and BC Local Registry（2007–2010）.Female Chinese adults（≥18 years）with operable breast cancer treated with docetaxel-based adjuvant chemotherapy were included in the analysis.Patients with metastatic disease were excluded.The primary endpoint was assessment of treatment patterns and patient profiles.A logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with choice of adjuvant chemotherapy regimen.Results：Data from 3,020 patients were included.The most frequently used adjuvant regimen was docetaxel/anthracycline combination[n=1,421（47.1%）;of whom 52.0%received T/epirubicin（E）/cyclophosphamide（C）],followed by docetaxel/other[n=705（23.3%）;of whom 72.8%received TC],docetaxel/anthracycline sequential[n=447（14.8%）;of whom 40.9%and 39.6%received 5-Fu/EC-T and EC-T,respectively],and＂other＂[n=447（14.8%）;of whom 91.5%received T].A significant association was found between adjuvant therapy with docetaxel/anthracycline combination and patient weight,menopausal status and estrogen receptor status.Conclusions：Real-world data revealed that docetaxel/anthracycline combination is the most commonly used category of docetaxel-based adjuvant therapy for patients with operable breast cancer in China;of which TEC is the most frequently used regimen.

Preoperative [18]fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography in early stage breast cancer: Rates of distant metastases

AIM To investigate rates of distant metastases(DM) detected with [18]fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emissiontomography/computed tomography(^(18)FDG-PET/CT) in early stage invasive breast cancer.METHODS We searched the English language literature databases of PubM ed, EMBASE, ISI Web of Knowledge, Web of Science and Google Scholar, for publications on DM detected in patients who had ^(18)FDG-PET/CT scans as part of the staging for early stages of breast cancer(stage Ⅰ?and Ⅱ), prior to or immediately following surgery. Reports published between 2011 and 2017 were considered. The systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines.RESULTS Among the 18 total studies included in the analysis, the risk of DM ranged from 0% to 8.3% and 0% to 12.9% for stage Ⅰ?and Ⅱ invasive breast cancer, respectively. Among the patients with clinical stage Ⅱ, the rate of occult metastases diagnosed by ^(18)FDG-PET/CT was 7.2%(range, 0%-19.6%) for stage ⅡA and 15.8%(range, 0%-40.8%) for stage ⅡB. In young patients(< 40-yearold), ^(18)FDG-PET/CT demonstrated a higher prevalence of DM at the time of diagnosis for those with aggressive histology(i.e., triple-negative receptors and poorly differentiated grade).CONCLUSION Young patients with poorly differentiated tumors and stage ⅡB triple-negative breast cancer may benefit from ^(18)FDG-PET/CT at initial staging to detect occult DM prior to surgery.

Effect of TCM Combined with Chemotherapy on Immune Function and Quality of Life of Patients with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer inStage Ⅲ-Ⅳ

Objective: To observe and compare the effect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) combined with chemotherapy (CT) on immune function and quality of life (QOL)of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ. Methods: One hundred cases with stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ NSCLC were randomly divided into two groups. The treated group (n=50) received CT combined with TCM, and the control group received CT alone. The percentage of T lymphocyte subset in peripheral blood and the change of natural killer (NK) cell count were observed after treatment. The QOL and tolerance of CT were also compared between the two groups after treatment. Results: In the treated group, CD3 cell count, CD4 cell count, CD4/ CDg ratio and NK cell activity were higher than those in control group, while CD8 cell count in the treated group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05), and QOL and tolerance of CT in the treated group were also better (P<0.05). Conclusion: TCM combined with CT could raise the patients' ability in tolerating CT in stage Ⅲ-ⅣNSCLC.

Secondary Metabolites in Flax Root Extracts at Various Stages of Maturity and Effects on Proliferation and Cytotoxicity in Oestrogen-Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer Cells

Flax contains large amounts of hormone-like compounds, especially lignans. These socalled phytoestrogens are thought to inhibit the cell growth of hormone-sensitive cancers. Hence, we analysed the influence of flax root extracts at various stages of maturity on the proliferation and cytotoxicity in oestrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer cells (MCF7) in vitro. Flax root extracts were prepared by using lignan extraction. The extracted compounds were analysed by Pyrolysis-Field Ionisation Mass Spectrometry. Various extract concentrations were applied to the cells to test for proliferation (BrdU test) and cytotoxicity (LDH test). A significantly higher inhibition of cell proliferation was observed with an extract made from 9-week-old flax roots in comparison with that of 3- and 6-week-old roots. Older roots contained more lignans and other phenolic substances than younger roots. The maturity grade of plants or their various parts is thus important for the production and concentration of secondary metabolites and leads to different biological effects on breast cancer cell growth.

Changes of immune function, tumor markers and inflammatory factors in breast cancer patients with different pathological stages

Objective: To investigate the changes of immune function, tumor markers and inflammatory factors in breast cancer patients with different pathological stages. Methods: From January 2017 to June 2018, 120 patients with breast cancer in our hospital were selected as subjects. According to TNM staging, they were divided into stage I (31 cases), stage II (36 cases), stage III (28 cases) and stage IV (25 cases). Another 50 healthy women in our hospital during the same period were selected as control group. The immune function, tumor markers and inflammatory factors in each group were detected and compared. Results: The levels of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD4+/CD8+ in the control group were (67.38±4.41)%, (51.38±2.59)%, (21.88±2.26)%, (2.33±0.34), respectively. The levels of CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+ in the control group were higher than those in the breast cancer patients of all stages, and the level of CD8+ in the control group was lower than those in the breast cancer patients of all stages;The levels of CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+ gradually decreased and the levels of CD8+ gradually increased with the increase of pathological stage. The levels of IgG and IgM in the control group were (7.03±1.27) g/L and (1.20±0.40) g/L respectively, which were lower than those in the patients with breast cancer of all stages. With the increase of pathological stages, the levels of IgG and IgM increased gradually. The levels of CEA, CA125 and CA153 in the control group were (1.54±0.53) ug/L, (12.53±2.26) U/mL and (7.63±1.67) U/mL, respectively, which were lower than those in the patients with breast cancer of all stages. The levels of CEA, CA125 and CA153 gradually increased with the increase of pathological stages. The levels of TNF- and hs-CRP in the control group were (73.32±10.57) pg/L and (2.24±0.43) mg/L, respectively, which were lower than those in the patients with breast cancer of all stages. The levels of TNF-α and hs-CRP increased gradually with the increase of pathological stages. Conclusion: The levels of immune function, tumor markers and inflammatory factors are different in different pathological stages of breast cancer. Detection of relevant indicators can provide a scientific basis for monitoring pathological progress and evaluating disease changes.

Early Stage Triple Negative Breast Cancer Has Significantly Better Outcomes than More Advanced Disease: A Single Centre Retrospective Review

A retrospective, serial analysis of 181 triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients was undertaken at a regional cancer centre in Canada. The primary focus of the analysis was to investigate the effect of presenting stage in patients with TNBC on progression free and overall survival. We were able to demonstrate that patients presenting with an earlier stage breast cancer had a significantly superior progression free and overall survival when compared to more advanced stage. The adjusted multivariate cox-regression analyses for the overall and progression free survival suggest that the hazard of death was significantly lower for patients with stages I (HR = 0.09;95% CI 0.03 - 0.24) and II (HR = 0.29;95% CI 0.16 - 0.54) than for patients with stage III. The only other predictor of progression free survival besides stage, was receipt of radiotherapy (HR = 0.39;95% CI 0.22 - 0.69) in the adjusted cox regression analysis. Less than 2% of patients presented with stage IV disease. The small numbers presenting with stage IV disease may have impact on the development of clinical and translational trials. Certainly there may be stage migration if staging included more standardized or more sensitive investigations such as PET scans, and this might an important consideration in developing clinical trials. Twenty-five percent of patients presented with stage I disease. It is important for patients with TNBC presenting with earlier stages of disease that they are aware that they will have a better prognosis than their counterparts with more advanced disease. It is important that we are aware of this patient population, as their treatment recommendations are unclear and a source of a fair amount of controversy currently.

血清TAP、proGRP、cyfra21-1与Ⅲ~Ⅳ期NSCLC新辅助化疗疗效及预后的关系

目的探讨血清肿瘤异常蛋白(TAP)、胃泌素释放肽前体(proGRP)、细胞角蛋白19片段(cyfra21-1)与Ⅲ~Ⅳ期非小细胞肺癌(NSCLC)新辅助化疗(NCT)疗效及预后的关系。方法选取100例Ⅲ~Ⅳ期NSCLC患者为研究对象,所有患者均采用NCT治疗,根据疗效将患者分为有效组和无效组,比较不同疗效患者化疗前后TAP、proGRP、cyfra21-1水平,分析化疗后TAP、proGRP、cyfra21-1水平对NSCLC患者NCT疗效的评估价值。所有患者均随访1年,分析化疗后TAP、proGRP、cyfra21-1表达水平与预后的关系。结果化疗后,有效组TAP、proGRP、cyfra21-1水平低于无效组(P<0.05)。ROC曲线结果显示,TAP评估NSCLC患者NCT疗效的AUC和截点值分别为0.739、178.18μm 2,proGRP评估NSCLC患者NCT疗效的AUC和截点值分别为0.810、52.21 ng/L,cyfra21-1评估NSCLC患者NCT疗效的AUC和截点值分别为0.775、7.70μmol/L,联合评估NSCLC患者NCT疗效的AUC为0.913,高于单项诊断(P<0.05)。TAP、proGRP、cyfra21-1高表达患者的1年生存率均低于低表达患者(P<0.05)。结论TAP、proGRP、cyfra21-1联合评估Ⅲ~Ⅳ期NSCLC患者NCT疗效具有较高价值,且其均与NSCLC患者预后密切相关。

Detection of the <i>PIK3CA</i>Mutation in Circulating Tumor DNA as a Possible Predictive Indicator for Poor Prognosis of Early-Stage Breast Cancer

Objectives: Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is shown to provide the real-time genomic information of metastatic breast cancer. This study elucidates the clinico-pathological significance of ctDNA in early-stage breast cancer using the PIK3CA mutation as an indicator. Materials and Methods: Twenty-seven primary breast cancers without metastasis were surgically resected and pathologically diagnosed at the University of Tokyo Hospital, Japan. Genomic DNA of primary tumor was extracted from formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded specimens. ctDNA was extracted from fresh-frozen plasma from patients. The PIK3CA mutations at E542K, E545K and H1047R were examined by Sanger sequencing or droplet digital PCR in 27 tumors and pre- and post-surgery plasma. Results: The PIK3CA mutations were detected in 13 (48%) of 27 primary tumors. These mutations did not significantly correlate with specific clinico-pathological characteristics of tumors. When ctDNA was examined, 4 (33%) of 12 cases carrying the mutated PIK3CA showed the identical mutation in pre-surgery plasma and 2 (50%) of them showed the identical mutations in post-surgery plasma. Interestingly, in these 2 cases in pathological stages IIIA and IA, fractional abundance of the mutated PIK3CA alleles to the total alleles in pre-surgery ctDNA was around 1% or more and was higher than that of the other two cases without PIK3CA mutations in post-surgery ctDNA. Conclusions: The PIK3CA mutation in ctDNA is detectable even in a subset of early-stage breast cancer. Furthermore, fractional abundance of the mutated PIK3CA in pre-surgery ctDNA could provide a possible predictive indicator for tumor burden and for choosing the appropriate adjuvant treatment of breast cancer.

Pathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women worldwide. Prediction models stratify a woman's risk for developing cancer and can guide screening recommendations based on the presence of known and quantifiable hormonal, environmental, personal, or genetic risk factors. Mammography remains the mainstay breast cancer screening and detection but magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound have become useful diagnostic adjuncts in select patient populations. The management of breast cancer has seen much refinement with increased specialization and collaboration with multidisciplinary teams that include surgeons, oncologists, radiation oncologists, nurses, geneticist, reconstructive surgeons and patients. Evidence supports a less invasive surgical approach to the staging and management of the axilla in select patients. In the era of patient/tumor specific management, the advent of molecular and genomic profiling is a paradigm shift in the treatment of a biologically heterogenous disease.

A retrospective prognostic evaluation analysis using the 8th edition of American Joint Committee on Cancer(AJCC)cancer staging system for luminal A breast cancer

Objective： We retrospectively analyzed the clinical prognostic value of the 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer （AJCC） staging system for luminal A breast cancer. Methods： Using both the anatomic and prognostic staging in the 8th edition of AJCC cancer staging system, we restaged patients with luminal A breast cancer treated at the Breast Disease Center, Peking University First Hospital from 2008 to 2014. Follow-up data including 5-year disease free survival （DFS）, overall survival （OS） and other clinic-pathological data were collected to analyze the differences between the two staging subgroups. Results： This study included 421 patients with luminal A breast cancer （median follow-up, 61 months）. The 5- year DFS and OS rates were 98.3% and 99.3%, respectively. Significant differences in 5-year DFS but not OS were observed between different anatomic disease stages. Significant differences were observed in both 5-year DFS and O S between different prognostic stages. Application of the prognostic staging system resulted in assignment of 175 of 421 patients （41.6%） to a different group compared to their original anatomic stages. In total, 102 of 103 patients with anatomic stage IlA changed to prognostic stage IB, and 24 of 52 patients with anatomic stage lib changed to prognostic stage IB, while 1 changed to prognostic stage liIB. Twenty-two of 33 patients with anatomic stage IliA were down-staged to IlA when staged by prognostic staging system, and the other 11 patients were down-staged to liB. Two patients with anatomic stage IIIB were down-staged to IliA. Among seven padents with anatomic stage IIIC cancer, two were down-staged to IliA and four were down-staged to stage I]IB. Conclusions： The 8th edition of AJCC prognostic staging system is an important supplement to the breast cancer staging system. More clinical trials are needed to prove its ability to guide selection of proper systemic therapy and predict prognosis of breast cancer.

Challenges to the early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in developing countries

This critical review of the literature assembles and compares available data on breast cancer clinical stage, time intervals to care, and access barriers in different countries. It provides evidence that while more than 70% of breast cancer patients in most high-income countries are diagnosed in stages Ⅰ and Ⅱ, only 20%-50% patients in the majority of low- and middleincome countries are diagnosed in these earlier stages. Most studies in the developed world show an association between an advanced clinical stage of breast cancer and delays greater than three months between symptom discovery and treatment start. The evidence assembled in this review shows that the median of this interval is 30-48 d in high-income countries but 3-8 mo in low- and middle-income countries. The longest delays occur between the first medical consultation and the beginning of treatment, known as the provider interval. The little available evidence suggests that access barriers and quality deficiencies in cancer care are determinants of provider delay in low- and middle-income countries. Research on specific access barriers and deficiencies in quality of care for the early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer is practically non-existentin these countries, where it is the most needed for the design of cost-effective public policies that strengthen health systems to tackle this expensive and deadly disease.

Sociodemographic Factors Associated with Delays in Breast Cancer

Objectives: The aim of our study was to investigate the relation of some sociodemographic factors and delays presentation in breast cancer. Patients and method: This was an observational study in Breast Unit of Aristide Le Dantec Teaching Hospital in Dakar. Were included in the study all patients followed for breast cancer from January 2008 to December 2014. The following variables were selected and stratified: age, place of living, educational attainment, menopausal status, socioeconomic status and family history of breast cancer. For each variable, an association with the stage and presentation delay was assessed. Results: Two hundred and fifty nine (259) patients met the inclusion criteria. No correlation was found between the studied socio-demographic factors and delay. Negative history of family breast cancer was associated with presentation delay. The only factor associated with locally advanced breast cancer after adjusting confounding factors was low level of income. Conclusion: A significant percentage of women with breast cancer in Senegal are experiencing presentation delay. Coordinated efforts with public health department are needed to educate the focused groups and mitigate the barriers.