Clinical characteristics, metastasis patterns, and treatment outcomes of HER2-low breast cancer.

Breast cancer (BC) is a heterogeneous disease, traditionally classified by hormone receptor and HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) status. HER2-low, characterized by low HER2 expression without gene amplification, recently gained attention. While new therapies are promising, its clinical significance remains unclear.

The New Tumour Biomarker miRNA-371-3p Influences Cisplatin Sensitivity of Testicular Germ Cell Tumour Cell Lines.

Cisplatin is used to treat a variety of malignancies, including testicular germ cell tumours (TGCTs). Although cisplatin-based chemotherapy yields high response rates, a subset of patients develop cisplatin resistance, limiting treatment options and worsening prognosis. Therefore, there is a high clinical need for new therapeutic strategies targeting cisplatin-resistant TGCTs.

Impact of obesity on pathological complete remission in early stage breast cancer patients after neoadjuvant chemotherapy: a retrospective study from a German University breast center.

Purpose: Breast cancer is a primary cause of cancer-related death among women worldwide. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is a cornerstone treatment for locally advanced, non-metastatic breast cancer. Achieving pathological complete response (pCR) is often used as a surrogate marker for long-term outcomes.

Novel Antibody-Drug-Conjugates in Routine Clinical Practice for the Treatment of Metastatic Breast Cancer: Adherence, Efficacy and Tolerability - Real-World Data from German Breast Centers.

Introduction: The third-generation antibody-drug conjugates (ADC), trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) and sacituzumab govitecan (SG), recently obtained approval for metastatic breast cancer treatment across various subtypes and therapeutic contexts.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective, multicentric study evaluated real-world tolerability, feasibility and efficacy in a pre-treated, real-world cohort at three major German breast cancer centers.

Results: 125 patients treated with T-DXd or SG from November 2020 to June 2023 were included (T-DXd: 77 patients; SG: 48 patients).

Aberrant p53 immunostaining patterns in breast carcinoma of no special type strongly correlate with presence and type of TP53 mutations.

Recent studies have revealed an association between TP53 mutations and endocrine resistance in hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer (HR + HER2 -BC). Aberrant p53 immunostaining (IHC) patterns may provide a surrogate marker for TP53 mutations. Building upon a ternary algorithm of aberrant staining patterns, this study evaluates the reliability of p53 IHC as screening tool for TP53 mutations in BC (NST).

Implementation and Evaluation of a Breast Cancer Disease Model Using Real-World Claims Data in Germany from 2010 to 2020.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality among women in Germany and worldwide. This retrospective claims data analysis utilizing data from AOK Baden-Wuerttemberg, a major statutory German health insurance provider, aimed to construct and assess a real-world data breast cancer disease model. The study included 27,869 female breast cancer patients and 55,738 age-matched controls, analyzing data from 2010 to 2020.

The efficacy of sacituzumab govitecan and trastuzumab deruxtecan on stable and active brain metastases in metastatic breast cancer patients-a multicenter real-world analysis.

Background: Fifteen to thirty percent of all patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) develop brain metastases (BCBMs). Recently, the antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) sacituzumab govitecan (SG) and trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) have shown to be highly effective in the treatment of MBC. However, there are only limited data whether these macromolecules are also effective in patients with BCBMs.

Soluble NKG2DLs Are Elevated in Breast Cancer Patients and Associate with Disease Outcome.

Ligands of the natural killer group 2D (NKG2DL) family are expressed on malignant cells and are usually absent from healthy tissues. Recognition of NKG2DLs such as MICA/B and ULBP1-3 by the activating immunoreceptor NKG2D, expressed by NK and cytotoxic T cells, stimulates anti-tumor immunity in breast cancer. Upregulation of membrane-bound NKG2DLs in breast cancer has been demonstrated by immunohistochemistry.

The Clinical Relevance of the NATALEE Study: Application of the NATALEE Criteria to a Real-World Cohort from Two Large German Breast Cancer Centers.

The NATALEE study showed a significant benefit in invasive disease-free survival (iDFS) for patients with HR+/HER2- early breast cancer (eBC) at intermediate and high risk of recurrence who were treated with the CDK4/6 inhibitor Ribociclib in combination with endocrine therapy (ET). This retrospective study aims to apply the NATALEE inclusion criteria to a representative real-world cohort to estimate the proportion of HR+/HER2- breast cancer patients eligible for adjuvant Ribociclib therapy. Patients who underwent full surgical treatment for eBC between January 2018 and December 2020 at two large German university breast cancer centers (University of Ulm, University of Tuebingen) were included.

Demand-oriented design of telemedical services in gynecologic oncology.

Background: The medical field is in the midst of a massive expansion in telemedical services. However, it is not possible to say to what extent telemedical offerings can be designed to meet needs in the German healthcare system. This study provides insights into demand-oriented care using telemedical services for gynecological patients.

Microfluidic Isolation of Disseminated Tumor Cells from the Bone Marrow of Breast Cancer Patients.

Disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) in the bone marrow (BM) of breast cancer (BC) patients are putative precursors of metastatic disease, and their presence is associated with an adverse clinical outcome. To achieve the personalization of therapy on a clinical routine level, the characterization of DTCs and in vitro drug testing on DTCs are of great interest. Therefore, biobanking methods, as well as novel approaches to DTC isolation, need to be developed.

Targeting NKG2DL with Bispecific NKG2D-CD16 and NKG2D-CD3 Fusion Proteins on Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a particularly aggressive subtype of breast cancer with a poor response rate to conventional systemic treatment and high relapse rates. Members of the natural killer group 2D ligand (NKG2DL) family are expressed on cancer cells but are typically absent from healthy tissues; thus, they are promising tumor antigens for novel immunotherapeutic approaches. We developed bispecific fusion proteins (BFPs) consisting of the NKG2D receptor domain targeting multiple NKG2DLs, fused to either anti-CD3 (NKG2D-CD3) or anti-CD16 (NKG2D-CD16) Fab fragments.

Tumor-Free Resection Margin Distance in the Surgical Treatment of Node-Negative Squamous Cell Cancer of the Vulva Has No Impact on Survival: Analysis of a Large Patient Cohort in a Tertiary Care Center.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of pathological tumor-free margin distance on survival in SCC patients treated with surgery alone.

Methods: This retrospective study included 128 patients with node-negative disease that received no adjuvant treatment. Disease-free and overall survival were analyzed according to pathological tumor-free margin distance.

Which Patients Do We Need to Test for BRCA1/2 Mutation? Feasibility of Adjuvant Olaparib Treatment in Early Breast Cancer-Real-World Data from Two Large German Breast Centers.

Background: Approximately 6% of women with breast cancer carry pathogenic germline variants in predisposition genes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2. Depending on personal and family cancer history, it is therefore recommended to test for hereditary breast cancer. Moreover, as shown by the phase III OlympiA trial, olaparib significantly improves overall survival in patients with HER2 negative (HER2-) early breast cancer who (1) carry a BRCA1 or BRCA2 germline mutation (gBRCA1/2-positive), (2) have received (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy and (3) are at high clinical risk.

Association between 21-gene-assay and detection of disseminated tumor cells in patients with early breast cancer: results from the IRMA trial.

Purpose: Disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) in the bone marrow (BM) are known to be of prognostic value for patients with early breast cancer (EBC). In addition to histopathological features, multigene expression assays, such as the commercially available 21-gene Breast Recurrence Score® assay, have been validated for evaluating prognosis and making decisions concerning adjuvant treatment in EBC. In a previous retrospective study from our group, the 21-gene assay was shown to be associated with DTC-detection.

Influence of [F]FDG-PET/CT on Clinical Management Decisions in Breast Cancer Patients-A PET/CT Registry Study.

There is a lack of evidence regarding the clinical impact of [F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ([F]FDG-PET/CT, hereinafter referred to as PET/CT), especially regarding management changes and their link to overall survival. We analyzed 52 PET/CTs in 47 stage I-IV breast cancer patients, selected from a prospective oncological PET/CT registry. Indications for PET/CT were primary staging ( = 15), restaging ( = 17), and suspected recurrence ( = 20).

Advancing Cancer Therapy Predictions with Patient-Derived Organoid Models of Metastatic Breast Cancer.

The poor outcome of metastasized breast cancer (BC) stresses the need for reliable personalized oncology and the significance of models recapitulating the heterogeneous nature of BC. Here, we cultured metastatic tumor cells derived from advanced BC patients with malignant ascites (MA) or malignant pleural effusion (MPE) using organoid technology. We identified the characteristics of tumor organoids by applying immunohistochemistry and mutation analysis.

Machine learning and patient-reported outcomes for longitudinal monitoring of disease progression in metastatic breast cancer: a multicenter, retrospective analysis.

Background: Assessments of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) play an important role in transition to palliative care for women with metastatic breast cancer. We developed machine learning (ML) algorithms to analyse longitudinal HRQoL data and identify patients who may benefit from palliative care due to disease progression.

Methods: We recruited patients from two institutions and administered the EuroQoL Visual Analog Scale (EQ-VAS) via an online platform over a 6-month period.

Detection of circulating cell-free HPV DNA of 13 HPV types for patients with cervical cancer as potential biomarker to monitor therapy response and to detect relapse.

Background: HPV-related cervical cancer (CC) is the fourth most frequent cancer in women worldwide. Cell-free tumour DNA is a potent biomarker to detect treatment response, residual disease, and relapse. We investigated the potential use of cell-free circulating HPV-DNA (cfHPV-DNA) in plasma of patients with CC.

Clinical outcome of biomarker-guided therapies in adult patients with tumors of the nervous system.

Background: The clinical utility of molecular profiling and targeted therapies for neuro-oncology patients outside of clinical trials is not established. We aimed at investigating feasibility and clinical utility of molecular profiling and targeted therapy in adult patients with advanced tumors in the nervous system within a prospective observational study.

Methods: molecular tumor board (MTB)@ZPM (NCT03503149) is a prospective observational precision medicine study for patients with advanced tumors.

Recurrence Score Result Impacts Treatment Decisions in Hormone Receptor-Positive, HER2-Negative Patients with Early Breast Cancer in a Real-World Setting-Results of the IRMA Trial.

Background: Patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+), HER2-negative (HER2-) early breast cancer (eBC) with a high risk of relapse often undergo adjuvant chemotherapy. However, only a few patients will gain benefit from chemotherapy. Since classical tumor characteristics (grade, tumor size, lymph node involvement, and Ki67) are of limited value to predict chemotherapy efficacy, multigene expression assays such as the Oncotype DX test were developed to reduce over- and undertreatment.

The Michigan Action Progress System (MAPS): Enhancing a Culture of Professionalism, Accountability, and Psychological Safety.

Objective: To prioritize trainee well-being, promote professionalism, and allow individuals to raise concerns without fear of retribution, one surgical department created an innovative process by which individuals can raise concerns and obtain subsequent support.

Design And Setting: The University of Michigan Department of Surgery implemented the Michigan Action Progress System (MAPS) in February 2021.

Participants: General Surgery residents, faculty, and staff voluntarily participate in MAPS.