Exceptional responses to systemic treatment in metastatic breast cancer: clinical features and long-term outcomes.

Background: Interest in metastatic solid tumors patients achieving exceptionally durable responses to systemic treatment is progressively increasing; however, available evidence still remains limited. This study characterizes patients with metastatic breast cancer (mBC) achieving an exceptional response, with a focus on patients discontinuing systemic treatment.

Methods: In this retrospective monocentric study, patients with mBC achieving exceptional responses (2021-2023) were identified; clinical features, hormone receptor (HR) and HER2 status, and radiological responses were collected.

Adjuvant endocrine therapy choices in premenopausal patients with hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer: Insights from the prospective GIM23-POSTER study.

Background: Most premenopausal patients with early breast cancer (eBC) are diagnosed with hormone receptor-positive disease and therefore candidate for adjuvant endocrine therapy (ET).

Patients And Methods: The Gruppo Italiano Mammella (GIM) 23-POSTER (GIM23) is a multicenter, prospective, observational study conducted in 26 Italian institutions, aiming to evaluate ET choices for premenopausal patients affected by hormone receptor-positive eBC in a real-world setting. Here we report also the results in terms of type of ET prescribed according to the definition of high-risk patients by monarchE and NATALEE trials.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Treatment Practices for Patients With Early Breast Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Study From a Large Cancer Center in Italy.

Introduction: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has disrupted health services worldwide. The evidence on the impact of the pandemic on cancer care provision, however, is conflicting. We aimed to audit the management of patients diagnosed with early breast cancer (EBC) during the pandemic in a large, tertiary-level cancer center in Italy.

Antigen rapid diagnostic test monitoring for SARS-CoV-2 in asymptomatic and fully vaccinated cancer patients: Is it cost-effective?

Background: Routine testing for cancer patients not presenting COVID-19-related symptoms and fully vaccinated for SARS-CoV-2 prior to cancer treatment is controversial.

Methods: In this retrospective study we evaluated whether antigen-rapid-diagnostic-test (Ag-RDT) monitoring for SARS-CoV-2 in a large cohort of consecutive asymptomatic (absence of SARS-CoV-2-related symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat or nasal congestion) and fully vaccinated cancer patients enrolled in a short period during cancer treatment has an impact on the therapeutic path of cancer patients.

Results: From December 27, 2021, to February 11, 2022, 2439 cancer patients were screened through Ag-RDT for SARS-CoV-2 before entering the hospital for systemic treatment.

Safety of COVID-19 Vaccine in Patients with Cancer in a High-Volume Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Background: Few data are available on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in cancer patients undergoing active cancer-directed treatment.

Patients And Methods: This case series analyzes outcomes in terms of adverse events in 5297 patients undergoing anti-cancer treatment who were vaccinated with anti-SARS-CoV-2 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at a single cancer center from March 6, 2021 to May 9, 2021. Adverse events were retrieved from the national Italian pharmacovigilance platform (http://www.

Clinical profile and mortality of Sars-Cov-2 infection in cancer patients across two pandemic time periods (Feb 2020-Sep 2020; Sep 2020-May 2021) in the Veneto Oncology Network: The ROVID study.

Introduction: We analyzed a cohort of patients with cancer and Sars-Cov-2 infection from the Veneto Oncology Network registry across two pandemic time periods.

Materials And Methods: 761 patients with cancer and SARS-CoV-2 infection were included.

Results: 198 patients were diagnosed during the first pandemic time period (TP1; February 2020 September 2020), 494 during TP2 before the vaccination campaign (TP2/pre-vaccination; September 2020-21 February 2021) and 69 in TP2/post-vaccination (22 February 2021-15 May 2021).

Prognostic factors in phyllodes tumours of the breast: retrospective study on 166 consecutive cases.

Background: Phyllodes tumours (PTs) are rare fibroepithelial tumours accounting for <1% of all breast tumours. We assessed clinicopathological features and their prognostic effect in a single-institution patients' cohort.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with PT between 2001 and 2018 at our institution were identified.

Validation of Residual Proliferative Cancer Burden as a Predictor of Long-Term Outcome Following Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients with Hormone Receptor-Positive/Human Epidermal Growth Receptor 2-Negative Breast Cancer.

Background: The integration of residual cancer burden (RCB) and post-treatment Ki67 as residual proliferative cancer burden (RPCB) has been proposed as a stronger predictor of long-term outcome in unselected patients with breast cancer (BC) undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT), as compared with RCB. However, no specific analysis in hormone-receptor-positive (HR+) human epidermal growth receptor 2-negative (HER2-) BC is available so far.

Materials And Methods: A cohort of 130 patients with HR+/HER2- BC who underwent NACT between 2000 and 2014 was included.

Use of scalp cooling device to prevent alopecia for early breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy: A prospective study.

Chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) affects the majority of patients receiving chemotherapy (CT) for early breast cancer. It is a highly distressing side effect of CT, with psychological and social impact. Primary aim of the present analysis was to assess the efficacy of scalp cooling with DigniCap® in preventing CIA.

Androgen Receptor Expression and Association With Distant Disease-Free Survival in Triple Negative Breast Cancer: Analysis of 263 Patients Treated With Standard Therapy for Stage I-III Disease.

We evaluated immunohistochemical AR expression and correlation with prognosis in a large series of homogeneously treated patients with primary TNBC. Patients diagnosed with stage I-III TNBC between 2000 and 2015 at Istituto Oncologico Veneto who received treatment with surgery and neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant chemotherapy were included. Whole tissue slides were stained for AR.

Neoplastic Pericardial Effusion: A Monocentric Retrospective Study.

Neoplastic pericardial effusion (NPE) is a life-threatening condition that can worsen clinical outcome in cancer patients. The optimal management of NPE has yet to be defined because randomized studies are lacking. We report a retrospective monoinstitutional experience describing characteristics, management and prognostic factors in NPE patients.

Beyond breast specific-Graded Prognostic Assessment in patients with brain metastases from breast cancer: treatment impact on outcome.

Brain metastases are a serious relatively common complication of breast cancer. We evaluated prognostic factors for survival after diagnosis of brain metastases from breast cancer in a contemporary cohort of patients. Patients diagnosed with breast cancer brain metastases at our institution between 1999 and March 2016 were evaluated.