Clinical and patient-reported outcomes after oncoplastic versus conventional breast conserving surgery-a longitudinal, multicenter cohort study.

Background: Oncoplastic breast conserving surgery (OP-BCS) is becoming increasingly popular to avoid mastectomy or optimize cosmetic outcomes of breast conserving surgery (BCS). Few studies have compared clinical outcomes and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) of OP-BCS to conventional BCS (C-BCS). This study aims to compare clinical outcomes and short and long-term PROs after OP-BCS and C-BCS in a large prospective breast cancer cohort.

A phase II, multicenter, open-label study of abemaciclib and letrozole in patients with estrogen receptor-positive rare ovarian cancer: ALEPRO trial.

Background: Low-grade serous and endometrioid ovarian cancers and adult-type granulosa cell tumors are rare ovarian malignancies that show high estrogen receptor positivity. Recurrences of these subtypes of ovarian cancer are often treated with conventional chemotherapy, although response rates are disappointing.

Primary Objective: To determine the overall response rate of the combination therapy of abemaciclib and letrozole in patients with estrogen receptor-positive rare ovarian cancers.

Small Cell Carcinoma of the Ovary, Hypercalcemic Type (SCCOHT): Patient Characteristics, Treatment, and Outcome-A Systematic Review.

Background: Small-cell carcinoma of the ovary, hypercalcemic type (SCCOHT) is a rare aggressive ovarian malignancy mainly affecting children, adolescents, and young adults. Since the discovery of mutations in the SMARCA4 gene in 2014, SCCOHT has become the subject of extensive investigation. However, international uniform treatment guidelines for SCCOHT are lacking and the outcome remains poor.

C1-inhibitor treatment in patients with severe complement-mediated autoimmune hemolytic anemia.

Complement-mediated (CM) autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is characterized by the destruction of red blood cells (RBCs) by autoantibodies that activate the classical complement pathway. These antibodies also reduce transfusion efficacy via the lysis of donor RBCs. Because C1-inhibitor (C1-INH) is an endogenous regulator of the classical complement pathway, we hypothesized that peritransfusional C1-INH in patients with severe CM-AIHA reduces complement activation and hemolysis, and thus enhances RBC transfusion efficacy.

The Effects of Being Informed About Chemotherapy-Related Cognitive Symptoms With And Without Self-Affirmation on Perceived Cognitive Symptoms of Breast Cancer Patients: A Randomized Prospective, Longitudinal Study.

Background: Informing patients about chemotherapy-related cognitive symptoms (CRCS) may increase perceived cognitive symptoms. This longitudinal randomized study evaluated this Adverse Information Effect (AIE) in breast cancer patients and examined whether self-affirmation (SA) can reduce AIEs (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04813965).

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on perceived access to health care and preferences for health care provision in individuals (being) treated for breast cancer.

Purpose: To evaluate perceived access to health care and preferences for health care provision among patients (being) treated for breast cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Longitudinal study within the prospective, multicenter UMBRELLA cohort of patients (being) treated for breast cancer. All cohort participants enrolled in UMBRELLA between October 2013 and November 2020 were sent a COVID-19-specific survey during the first and second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, i.

The impact of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on late radiation toxicity and quality of life in breast cancer patients.

Purpose: To evaluate symptoms of late radiation toxicity, side effects, and quality of life in breast cancer patients treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).

Methods: For this cohort study breast cancer patients treated with HBOT in 5 Dutch facilities were eligible for inclusion. Breast cancer patients with late radiation toxicity treated with ≥ 20 HBOT sessions from 2015 to 2019 were included.

[Histopathologic grading of breast cancer; large variation with major consequences?].

The pathologist's assessment of tumor tissue plays a critical role in therapeutic decision-making in early-stage invasive breast cancer. In daily practice, however, there appears to be considerable variation in grading between the different Dutch pathology laboratories and between individual pathologists within the same laboratory. This underlines the need to standardize grading by pathologists as much as possible in order to minimize the risk of a worse outcome for patients due to under-treatment and of unnecessary toxicity from over-treatment.

(Ex-)breast cancer patients with (pre-existing) symptoms of anxiety and/or depression experience higher barriers to contact health care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose: To identify factors associated with (perceived) access to health care among (ex-)breast cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Cross-sectional study within a large prospective, multicenter cohort of (ex-)breast cancer patients, i.e.

The increasing importance of histologic grading in tailoring adjuvant systemic therapy in 30,843 breast cancer patients.

Purpose: The large variation in histologic grading of invasive breast cancer (IBC) that has been reported likely influences tailoring adjuvant therapy. The role of grading in therapeutic decision-making in daily practice, was evaluated using the Dutch national guidelines for IBC-management.

Methods: Synoptic reports of IBC resection-specimens, obtained between 2013 and 2016, were extracted from the nationwide Dutch Pathology Registry, and linked to treatment-data from the Netherlands Cancer Registry.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Patient-Reported Outcomes of Breast Cancer Patients and Survivors.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic (officially declared on the March 11, 2020), and the resulting measures, are impacting daily life and medical management of breast cancer patients and survivors. We evaluated to what extent these changes have affected quality of life, physical, and psychosocial well-being of patients previously or currently being treated for breast cancer.

Methods: This study was conducted within a prospective, multicenter cohort of breast cancer patients and survivors (Utrecht cohort for Multiple BREast cancer intervention studies and Long-term evaLuAtion).

Assessing the effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in breast cancer patients with late radiation toxicity (HONEY trial): a trial protocol using a trial within a cohort design.

Background: Breast cancer treatment with radiotherapy can induce late radiation toxicity, characterized by pain, fibrosis, edema, impaired arm mobility, and poor cosmetic outcome. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been proposed as treatment for late radiation toxicity; however, high-level evidence of effectiveness is lacking. As HBOT is standard treatment and reimbursed by insurers, performing classic randomized controlled trials is difficult.

Grading variation in 2,934 patients with ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast: the effect of laboratory- and pathologist-specific feedback reports.

Background: Histologic grade of ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast (DCIS) may become the single biomarker that decides whether patients will be treated. Yet, evidence shows that grading variation in daily practice is substantial. To facilitate quality improvement, feedback reports, in which laboratory-specific case-mix adjusted proportions per grade were benchmarked against other laboratories, were sent to the individual laboratories by March 1, 2018.

Variation in breast cancer grading: the effect of creating awareness through laboratory-specific and pathologist-specific feedback reports in 16 734 patients with breast cancer.

Aims: Histological grade is widely used to guide the management of invasive breast cancer (IBC). Yet, substantial interlaboratory and intralaboratory grading variations exist in daily pathology practice. To create awareness and to facilitate quality improvement, feedback reports, containing case-mix-adjusted laboratory-specific grades benchmarked against other laboratories, were sent to the individual laboratories by 1 March 2018.

Chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia: primary G-CSF prophylaxis indicated during docetaxel cycles.

Background: Chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropaenia (FN) is a common and life-threatening adverse event, which can be largely prevented by the use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF); G-CSF, however is expensive and not without side effects. Although primary G-CSF prophylaxis is recommended when the risk of FN is ≥ 20%, it is unclear during which cycles it should be administered. This study assessed and compared the FN incidence in the neo-adjuvant or adjuvant administration of two chemotherapy regimens that are widely used in breast cancer care to provide clinically useful recommendations for G-CSF use.

Self-reported work ability in breast cancer survivors; a prospective cohort study in the Netherlands.

Purpose: To evaluate patient-reported work ability of breast cancer patients, to compare scores with the Dutch general population, and to identify determinants of reduced work ability in breast cancer patients.

Methods: In a prospective cohort study, we identified 939 patients <67 years. Employed patients filled out the Work Ability Index (WAI) questionnaire before the start of radiotherapy treatment (baseline) and at 6, 18, and 30 months.

Hormone- and HER2-receptor assessment in 33,046 breast cancer patients: a nationwide comparison of positivity rates between pathology laboratories in the Netherlands.

Purpose: Patient management of invasive breast cancer (IBC) is to a large extent based on hormone- and HER2-receptor assessment. High-quality, reliable receptor assessment is of key importance as false results may lead to under- or overtreatment of patients. Surveillance of case-mix adjusted positivity rates has been suggested as a tool to identify laboratories with insufficient testing assays, as this covers the whole process of receptor assessment and enables laboratories to benchmark their positivity rates against other laboratories.

The effect of chemotherapy on subjective cognitive function in younger early-stage breast cancer survivors treated with chemotherapy compared to older patients.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of chemotherapy on subjective cognitive functioning according to age in a large cohort of breast cancer patients.

Methods: Within the UMBRELLA cohort, 715 patients with early-stage primary invasive breast cancer (T1-3N0-1M0) were selected. Subjective cognitive function was assessed by means of the EORTC QLQ-C30 up to 24 months and compared between patients treated with and without chemotherapy, for three different age strata (355 patients < 55 years, 240 patients aged 55-65 years, and 120 patients > 65 years).

Complement Deposition and IgG Binding on Stored Red Blood Cells Are Independent of Storage Time.

Background: In the Netherlands, red blood cells (RBCs) are allowed to be stored up to 35 days at 2-6 °C in saline-adenine-glucose-mannitol (SAGM). During storage, RBCs undergo several changes that are collectively known as storage lesion. We investigated to what extent complement deposition and antibody binding occurred during RBC storage and investigated phagocytic uptake in vitro.

Acute hemolytic transfusion reaction due to a warm reactive anti-A.

Background: Anti-A are regularly observed by reverse testing and are generally considered clinically irrelevant. For compatibility testing and the selection of blood, we use the type-and-screen (T&S) strategy, in which ABO confirmation of patients with a definitive blood group is performed by forward grouping only. Because anti-A seem clinically irrelevant, it is our policy to provide group A blood in patients with an anti-A .