Impact of low HER2 expression on response to CDK4/6 inhibitor treatment in advanced HR + /HER2- breast cancer: a multicenter real-world data analysis.

Purpose: CDK4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) represent the first-line therapy approach of choice for patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer (HR + /HER-ABC). Approximately 50% of HR + /HER2-ABC displays low HER2 expression (HER2 low). Recent data emerging from the DESTINY-Breast04 trial demonstrated practice-changing efficacy of the antibody-drug conjugate trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) in patients with low HER2 expression.

Evaluation of an OSCE's implementation and a two-step approach for a theoretical and practical training program in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) is a well-known assessment method to evaluate clinical skills and competence in healthcare. Following the recently reformed National Competence-Based Catalog of Learning Objectives in Medicine, the implementation of this assessment method in the training program for medical students is now obligatory in Germany. This major change requires a reorganization not only of the training programs but also of the students themselves and the way they learn.

Non-invasive physical plasma for preventing radiation dermatitis in breast cancer: Results from an intrapatient-randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

Background And Purpose: To investigate the effect of topical non-invasive physical plasma (NIPP), a volatile mix generated out of ambient air, on prevention of acute radiation dermatitis (RD) during and after whole-breast irradiation (WBI).

Materials And Methods: Lateral and medial breast halves were randomised within each patient to receive either 120 s of NIPP or sham treatment daily during WBI. Standard skin care with urea lotion was applied to the whole breast.

Do Barrier Films Impact Long-Term Skin Toxicity following Whole-Breast Irradiation? Objective Follow-Up of Two Randomised Trials.

Hydrofilm, a polyurethane-based barrier film, can be used to prevent acute radiation dermatitis (RD) in adjuvant whole-breast irradiation (WBI) for breast cancer. This cost-effective prophylactic measure is currently being recommended to a growing number of patients, yet long-term safety data and its impact on late radiation-induced skin toxicity such as pigmentation changes and fibrosis have not been investigated. We objectively evaluated patients who were previously enrolled in either of two intrapatient-randomised (lateral versus medial breast halve) controlled trials on the use of Hydrofilm for RD prevention (DRKS00029665; registered on 19 July 2022).

Barrier films for the prevention of acute radiation dermatitis in breast cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Purpose: Radiation dermatitis (RD) is the most common side effect of adjuvant whole-breast or chest wall irradiation, majorly impacting quality of life in numerous patients. The use of barrier films (polyurethane dressings such as Hydrofilm® and Mepitel® film remaining on the skin for the duration of the radiation treatment) has been investigated as a prophylactic measure in several prospective trials. Here, we critically appraise the available evidence behind preventive barrier film application in the context of breast cancer treatment.

Objective, Clinician- and Patient-Reported Evaluation of Late Toxicity Following Adjuvant Radiation for Early Breast Cancer: Long-Term Follow-Up Results of a Randomised Series.

This study aimed to differentially assess the frequency and severity of late radiation-induced toxicity following adjuvant whole-breast irradiation for early breast cancer with conventional fractionation (CF) and moderate hypofractionation (mHF). Patients recruited in a previous randomised controlled trial comparing acute toxicity between CF and mHF without disease recurrence were included in a post hoc analysis. Spectrophotometric and ultrasonographic examinations were performed for an objective evaluation and subsequent comparison of long-term skin toxicity.

CDK4/6 Inhibitors in Advanced HR+/HER2 - Breast Cancer: A Multicenter Real-World Data Analysis.

Purpose: CDK4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) combined with endocrine therapy are considered standard-of-care for first-line therapy of patients with hormone receptor positive, HER2 negative, advanced breast cancer (HR+/HER2- ABC). Superiority of combination therapy over endocrine monotherapy has been demonstrated in a multitude of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in phase III and IV. However, RCTs reflect clinical reality only to a limited extent, as narrow inclusion criteria lead to a selected patient collective.

Impact of patient nationality on the severity of early side effects after radiotherapy.

Background: Major demographical changes in Germany commenced in the 1960s. Ongoing humanitarian crises in the Ukraine with subsequent immigration will have also long-range effects on national provision of cancer treatment. Ensuring the best possible outcomes for each cancer patient undergoing radiotherapy requires the prediction and prevention of unfavorable side effects.

Non-Invasive Physical Plasma for Preventing Radiation Dermatitis in Breast Cancer: A First-In-Human Feasibility Study.

Radiation dermatitis (RD) is the most common acute side effect of breast irradiation. More than a century following the therapeutic utilisation of X-rays, potent preventative and therapeutic options are still lacking. Non-invasive physical plasma (NIPP) is an emerging approach towards treatment of various dermatological disorders.

Digital Technical and Informal Resources of Breast Cancer Patients From 2012 to 2020: Questionnaire-Based Longitudinal Trend Study.

Background: Digitalization offers enormous potential in medicine. In the era of digitalization, the development of the use of digital, technical, and informal resources of breast cancer patients and factors influencing the degree of digitization of patients has been insufficiently researched.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the development of the use of digital technical and informal resources in a well-defined patient cohort.

Molecular and Immune Correlates of PDCD1 (PD-1), PD-L1 (CD274), and PD-L2 (PDCD1LG2) DNA Methylation in Triple Negative Breast Cancer.

Immune checkpoints are important targets in oncological therapy. Recent studies have proven efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) in treatment of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, only a proportion of TNBC-patients benefit from ICI.

Lower Genital Tract Melanomas: Staging, Predictors of Outcome, and New Therapeutic Options.

Background/aim: Identification of predictors of survival of patients with lower genital tract melanoma (LGTM) and evaluation of the effectiveness of immunotherapy.

Patients And Methods: Data of twenty women with LGTM were retrospectively collected. Survival outcomes were evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

Clinical Trials with Combination of Cytokine-Induced Killer Cells and Dendritic Cells for Cancer Therapy.

Adoptive cellular immunotherapy (ACI) is a promising treatment for a number of cancers. Cytokine-induced killer cells (CIKs) are considered to be major cytotoxic immunologic effector cells. Usually cancer cells are able to suppress antitumor responses by secreting immunosuppressive factors.

Impact of Open Laparoscopy in Patients Under Suspicion of Ovarian Cancer.

Background/aim: Feasibility and value of diagnostic open laparoscopy (DOL) was assessed in patients presenting under suspicion of advanced ovarian cancer (AOC) mostly with large-volume ascites.

Patients And Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 143 consecutive patients who underwent DOL for histopathological verification of AOC performed from 2002 to 2012.

Results: Out of the 143 patients presenting at our Center with an ovarian mass and mostly with ascites under suspicion of ovarian cancer, we diagnosed 125 AOCs, three AOCs with three concomitant tumors of other origin, and 15 other diseases causing an ovarian mass and ascites mimicking AOC (e.

Introducing Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy into Gynecological Oncology Practice - Feasibility and Safety Considerations: Single-Center Experience.

Background: Within the surgical oncology community interest is increasingly focusing on combining surgical cytoreduction and regional chemotherapeutic drug delivery to manage solid abdominal tumors. In particular, the role of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is evolving for treating epithelial ovarian carcinomas (EOCs), as EOCs remain confined to the peritoneal cavity for most of their natural history. Currently there is no evidence from prospective trials to confirm an overall survival benefit associated with HIPEC.

Impact of Extended Primary Surgery on Suboptimally Operable Patients With Advanced Ovarian Cancer.

Objectives: Extensive surgical efforts to achieve an optimal debulking (no residual tumor) in primary surgery of ovarian cancer are today's criterion standard in gyneco-oncologic surgery. However, it is controversial whether extensive surgery, including resections of metastases in the upper abdomen and bowel resections, is justifiable in patients with not completely operable lesions.

Methods: All patients who had undergone surgery for ovarian cancer in the years 2002 to 2013 at our institution were viewed (n = 472).

Impact of Chemotherapy on Retroperitoneal Lymph Nodes in Ovarian Cancer.

Background: Complete cytoreduction is the most important prognostic factor in ovarian cancer. However, there exist conflicting data on whether the removal of microscopic tumor metastasis in macroscopically unsuspicious retroperitoneal lymph nodes is beneficial.

Patients And Methods: Ovarian cancer tissues and tissues from lymph node metastasis of 30 patients with FIGO IIIC or IV disease undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) were obtained and assessed using a validated regression score.

Individual management of cervical cancer in pregnancy.

Purpose: The management of cervical cancer in pregnancy persists to be challenging. Therefore, identification of factors that influence the choice of therapeutic management is pivotal for an adequate patient counseling.

Methods: We present a literature review of 26 studies reporting 121 pregnancies affected by cervical cancer.

Who may benefit from preoperative breast MRI? A single-center analysis of 1102 consecutive patients with primary breast cancer.

Several authors question the potential benefit of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) against the background of possible overdiagnosis, false-positive findings, and unnecessary resections in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer. In order to reveal a better selection of patients who should undergo preoperative MRI after histological confirmed breast cancer, the present analysis was implemented. We aimed to evaluate the influence of preoperative breast MRI in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer to find subgroups of patients that are most likely to benefit from preoperative MRI by the detection of occult malignant foci.

Accumulation of ALDH1-positive cells after neoadjuvant chemotherapy predicts treatment resistance and prognosticates poor outcome in ovarian cancer.

Although ovarian cancer is a highly chemosensitive disease, it is only infrequently cured. One of the major reasons lies in the presence of drug-resistant cancer stem-like cells, sufficient to fuel recurrence. We phenotyped cancer stem-like cells by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry in 55 matched samples before and after taxane/platinum-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

c-myc copy number gain is a powerful prognosticator of disease outcome in cervical dysplasia.

Cervical carcinoma develops from preneoplasia by a multistep process. Although most low-grade dysplastic lesions will regress without intervention and even high-grade changes exhibit a substantial rate of regression, a small percentage of dysplasia will progress over time. Thus, indicators are needed to estimate the biological risk and to help avoid overtreatment in women who desire to preserve fertility.

Total or subtotal colectomy in patients undergoing surgery for primary or recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer.

Background: There is controversy as to whether performing a total or subtotal colectomy is justified in patients with advanced ovarian cancer, given its potential for morbidity and a negative effect on long-term quality of life. The aim of this study was to assess the perioperative complications, mortality and outcomes of patients who underwent total or subtotal colectomy as part of the surgical procedure for primary or recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer.

Patients And Methods: All patients who had undergone surgery including a total or subtotal colectomy for advanced or recurrent ovarian cancer between 2005 and 2013 at our institution were retrospectively identified.