In the last two decades, next-generation sequencing (NGS) has facilitated enormous progress in cancer medicine, in both diagnosis and treatment. However, the usefulness of NGS in older cancer patients is unclear. To determine the role of NGS in older cancer patients, we retrospectively assessed demographic, clinicopathologic, and disease-specific data from 100 randomly selected cancer patients (any subtype/stage) who underwent NGS testing in 2020 at our institution and compared the treatment outcomes (progression-free survival [PFS] and overall survival [OS]) in the younger and older patient cohorts (A [n = 34] and B [n = 66]: age < 70 and ≥70 years, respectively).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: The American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBrS) recently classified oncoplastic breast conserving surgery (OBCS) into two levels. The association of resection ratio during OBCS with patient-reported outcomes (PRO) is unclear.
Materials And Methods: Patients with stage 0-III breast cancer undergoing OBCS between 01/2011-04/2023 at a Swiss university hospital, who completed at least one postoperative BREAST-Q PRO questionnaire were identified from a prospectively maintained institutional database.
Neoadjuvant systemic treatment (NST) is the standard treatment for HER2+, triple-negative (TN), and highly proliferative luminal HER2- early breast cancer. Pathologic complete response (pCR) after NST is associated with improved outcomes. We evaluated the predictive factors for axillary-pCR (AXpCR) and its impact on the extent of axillary node surgery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Oncoplastic breast conserving surgery (OBCS) aims to provide safe and satisfying surgery for breast cancer patients. The American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBrS) classification system is based on volumetric displacement cut-offs (level I for <20% of breast volume; level II for 20-50%). It aims to facilitate communication among treating physicians and patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The Choosing Wisely initiative recommended the omission of routine sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in patients ≥ 70 years of age, with clinically node-negative, early stage, hormone receptor (HR) positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2) negative breast cancer in August 2016. Here, we assess the adherence to this recommendation in a Swiss university hospital.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective single center cohort study from a prospectively maintained database.
The aims of this Oncoplastic Breast Consortium and European Breast Cancer Research Association of Surgical Trialists initiative were to identify uncertainties and controversies in axillary management of early breast cancer and to recommend appropriate strategies to address them. By use of Delphi methods, 15 questions were prioritized by more than 250 breast surgeons, patient advocates and radiation oncologists from 60 countries. Subsequently, a global virtual consensus panel considered available data, ongoing studies and resource utilization.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Contralateral axillary lymph node metastasis (CALNM) in breast cancer (BC) is considered a distant metastasis, marking stage 4cancer. Therefore, it is generally treated as an incurable disease. However, in clinical practice, staging and treatment remain controversial due to a paucity of data, and the St.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCancer patients with advanced disease are characterized by intrinsic challenges in predicting drug response patterns, often leading to ineffective treatment. Current clinical practice for treatment decision-making is commonly based on primary or secondary tumour biopsies, yet when disease progression accelerates, tissue biopsies are not performed on a regular basis. It is in this context that liquid biopsies may offer a unique window to uncover key vulnerabilities, providing valuable information about previously underappreciated treatment opportunities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg
November 2022
The metastatic spread of cancer is achieved by the haematogenous dissemination of circulating tumour cells (CTCs). Generally, however, the temporal dynamics that dictate the generation of metastasis-competent CTCs are largely uncharacterized, and it is often assumed that CTCs are constantly shed from growing tumours or are shed as a consequence of mechanical insults. Here we observe a striking and unexpected pattern of CTC generation dynamics in both patients with breast cancer and mouse models, highlighting that most spontaneous CTC intravasation events occur during sleep.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg
September 2022
Background: This study aims to compare patient-reported outcomes (PROs) after different types of oncoplastic surgery (OPS) procedures and correlate the results with previously published normative data from women with no prior history of breast cancer (BC) and breast surgery.
Methods: Cross-sectional study of patients with stage I-II BC undergoing a specific selection of OPS procedures from 04/2012 to 12/2018 by three breast surgeons at a single tertiary referral hospital in Switzerland. PROs were evaluated using the postoperative BREAST-Q questionnaire.
Aim: Demand for nipple- and skin- sparing mastectomy (NSM/SSM) with immediate breast reconstruction (BR) has increased at the same time as indications for post-mastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) have broadened. The aim of the Oncoplastic Breast Consortium initiative was to address relevant questions arising with this clinically challenging scenario.
Methods: A large global panel of oncologic, oncoplastic and reconstructive breast surgeons, patient advocates and radiation oncologists developed recommendations for clinical practice in an iterative process based on the principles of Delphi methodology.
Background: Lateral excess tissue after mastectomy is a frequent problem, which should be included into preoperative planning. Women with lateral tissue abundance are frequently impaired cosmetically and functionally. We suggest a novel oncoplastic mastectomy technique to eliminate the above mentioned.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: In patients with postmenopausal hormone receptor-positive breast cancer (ER + eBC), aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are widely used for effective relapse prevention. However, AIs reduce bone density and increase bone-related events (BREs). Alongside calcium and vitamin D3 supplementation, bisphosphonates and denosumab are well-known options for improving outcomes in bone health and breast cancer prognosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The aim of this study was to compare the risk of complications and recurrence between oncoplastic and conventional breast surgery.
Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of a consecutive series of 436 patients with stage I-III breast cancer who underwent surgery at the University Hospital of Basel between 2011 and 2018.
Results: The nipple/skin-sparing mastectomy (NSM/SSM) group showed significantly more delayed wound healing (32.
One in five women will experience depression over her lifetime, and one out of eight will develop breast cancer. We evaluated the effect of depression on adherence to mammography in Switzerland, where opportunistic and organized screening programs coexist. We analyzed data from 3206 women aged 50-69 who participated in the Swiss Health Survey 2012.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Pelvic congestion syndrome is defined as chronic pelvic pain due to incompetent (dilated and refluxing) pelvic veins. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of this condition by examining the prevalence of dilated ovarian and para-uterine veins in pre- and postmenopausal female patients, irrespective of their symptoms. We subsequently investigated how many women with dilated veins suffered from chronic pelvic pain.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Indications for nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) have broadened to include the risk reducing setting and locally advanced tumors, which resulted in a dramatic increase in the use of NSM. The Oncoplastic Breast Consortium consensus conference on NSM and immediate reconstruction was held to address a variety of questions in clinical practice and research based on published evidence and expert panel opinion.
Methods: The panel consisted of 44 breast surgeons from 14 countries across four continents with a background in gynecology, general or reconstructive surgery and a practice dedicated to breast cancer, as well as a patient advocate.
Background: The clinical presentation of Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is heterogeneous ranging from single-organ involvement to systemic disease causing substantial morbidity and mortality. We describe an unusual course of severe multisystem LCH with spontaneous remission.
Case Presentation: We report on a 45-year-old Caucasian woman with cervical cancer, FIGO stage IVB.
Objective: To assess the risk for preterm deliveries <37 week of gestation and associated prevalence of vaginal infection in a rural setting after the tsunami in Banda Aceh, Indonesia.
Methods: Wet mount microscopy, vaginal pH and vaginal swabs for microbiological culture were collected in pregnant women during the 2nd trimester from February to June of 2005 in four temporary outpatient clinics and the patients were followed up until delivery.
Results: One hundred and fifty-nine pregnant patients were screened.
Purpose: A woman's risk of developing breast cancer (BC) is increased if she has a personal history (PH) or family history (FH) of the disease. We compared the impact of the two risk factors PH and FH on tumor detection and tumor size at diagnosis in a cohort of BC patients.
Methods: The study cohort comprised 1,037 invasive BC patients (≤70 years at diagnosis).
Unlabelled: This is the first comprehensive analysis comparing specific aspects of tumor detection between the two "traditional" breast cancer detection methods self-detection (SD) and clinical breast examination (CBE). a) Which method is better in detecting smaller tumors? Both methods showed similar mean tumor diameters (SD: 22.1 mm vs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study evaluated the impact of family history (FH) on tumor detection, the patient's age and tumor size at diagnosis in breast cancer (BC). Furthermore, we investigated whether the impact of FH on these features was dependent on degree of relationship, number of relatives with a BC history, or the age of the affected relative at the time that her BC was diagnosed. Out of the entire cohort (n = 1,037), 244 patients (23.
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