Association of the SNPs in CCL2 and CXCL12 genes with the susceptibility to breast cancer: a case-control study in China.

Background: Chemokines are well-known for playing an essential role in the development of cancer. However, the association between SNPs in the CCL2 and CXCL12 genes and the susceptibility to breast cancer remains unclear.

Methods: A case-control study was conducted in southeast China, including 1855 breast cancer patients and 1838 cancer-free controls.

Association of inflammatory blood markers and pathological complete response in HER2-positive breast cancer: a retrospective single-center cohort study.

Introduction: The association between inflammatory blood markers (IBMs) (monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio [MLR], neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio [NLR], and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio [PLR]) and breast cancer has been extensively studied. However, the predictive role of IBMs in the neoadjuvant response of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer remains unclear.

Methods: This study included 744 patients with HER2 positive breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant therapy.

Identification of sequence polymorphism in the D-loop region of mitochondrial DNA as a risk factor for breast cancer.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variations affect the efficiency of the electron transport chain and production of reactive oxygen species, contributing to carcinogenesis. The D-loop region of mtDNA has emerged as a variation hotspot region in human neoplasia; however, the potential contribution of these variations in breast cancer risk prediction remains unknown. We investigated the relationship between germline single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the entire D-loop region and breast cancer risk in Chinese women.

MAZ-mediated up-regulation of BCKDK reprograms glucose metabolism and promotes growth by regulating glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase stability in triple-negative breast cancer.

Tumour metabolic reprogramming is pivotal for tumour survival and proliferation. Investigating potential molecular mechanisms within the heterogeneous and clinically aggressive triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtype is essential to identifying novel therapeutic targets. Accordingly, we investigated the role of branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase kinase (BCKDK) in promoting tumorigenesis in TNBC.

Spectrum and characteristics of germline PALB2 pathogenic variants in 1556 early-onset breast cancer patients in China.

Purpose: Limited data are available regarding the partner and localizer of BRCA2 (PALB2) in Chinese patients with early breast cancer. This study aimed to assess the spectrum and characteristics of germline PALB2 pathogenic variants in this population.

Methods: Peripheral blood samples were collected from 1556 patients diagnosed with BRCA1/2-negative early-onset breast cancer.

YY1 mediated DCUN1D5 transcriptional activation promotes triple-negative breast cancer progression by targeting FN1/PI3K/AKT pathway.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is more aggressive and has a higher metastasis rate compared with other subtypes of breast cancer. Due to the lack of drug-targetable receptors, chemotherapy is now the only available systemic treatment for TNBC. However, some patients might still develop drug resistance and have poor prognosis.

Additional prognostic value of polymorphisms within the 3'-untranslated region of programmed cell death pathway genes in early-stage breast cancer.

Introduction: The programmed cell death (PCD) pathway plays an important role in restricting cancer cell survival and proliferation. However, limited studies have investigated the association between genetic variants in the 3'-untranslated region of the PCD pathway genes and breast cancer outcomes.

Methods: In this study, we genotyped 28 potentially functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 23 PCD pathway genes in 1,177 patients with early-stage breast cancer (EBC) from a Han Chinese population.

Clinical outcomes of coronavirus disease in patients with breast cancer treated with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor following chemotherapy: Triangulation of evidence using population-based cohort and Mendelian randomization analyses.

Recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) administration in patients with cancer and coronavirus disease (COVID-19) remains controversial. Concerns exist that it may worsen COVID-19 outcomes by triggering an inflammatory cytokine storm, despite its common use for managing chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (CIN) or febrile neutropenia post-chemotherapy. Here, we determined whether prophylactic or therapeutic G-CSF administration following chemotherapy exacerbates COVID-19 progression to severe/critical conditions in breast cancer patients with COVID-19.

Loco-regional radiotherapy in de novo metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma with chemotherapy and immunotherapy: A real-world retrospective study from two cancer centers.

Background: Immunochemotherapy has become the first-line treatment for initial diagnosed metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (mNPC). Loco-regional radiotherapy combined with systemic chemotherapy significantly improves the survival. However, the safety and efficacy of loco-regional radiotherapy combined with immunochemotherapy remained unknown.

Correlation between AI-based CT organ features and normal lung dose in adjuvant radiotherapy following breast-conserving surgery: a multicenter prospective study.

Background: Radiation pneumonitis (RP) is one of the common side effects after adjuvant radiotherapy in breast cancer. Irradiation dose to normal lung was related to RP. We aimed to propose an organ features based on deep learning (DL) model and to evaluate the correlation between normal lung dose and organ features.

Effects of Breast-Conserving Surgery and Mastectomy on the Survival of Patients with Early-Stage (T1-2N0-1M0) HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis.

Introduction: Although breast-conserving therapy (BCT) promises at least a similar survival rate for patients with early breast cancer compared with mastectomy, its efficacy in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive tumors remains unclear. Therefore, we conducted this study to explore differential effects of BCT and mastectomy on survival outcomes of patients with early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer.

Methods: Data were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, and basic characteristics of patients who received either BCT or mastectomy were balanced using propensity score matching (PSM).

Comparative efficacy and safety of extended adjuvant endocrine therapy for hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer: a Bayesian network meta-analysis.

Purpose: Optimal extended adjuvant endocrine therapy (ET) duration and strategy for hormone receptor-positive (HR +) early breast cancer remain unclear. In this network meta-analysis (NMA), the efficacy and safety of all available extended adjuvant ETs were compared and ranked.

Methods: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library and abstracts presented at ASCO, SABCS, and ESMO were searched on March 5, 2022.

Genetic and lifestyle factors for breast cancer risk assessment in Southeast China.

Background: Despite the rising incidence and mortality of breast cancer among women in China, there are currently few predictive models for breast cancer in the Chinese population and with low accuracy. This study aimed to identify major genetic and life-style risk factors in a Chinese population for potential application in risk assessment models.

Methods: A case-control study in southeast China was conducted including 1321 breast cancer patients and 2045 controls during 2013-2016, in which the data were randomly divided into a training set and a test set on a 7:3 scale.

High leukocyte mitochondrial DNA copy number contributes to poor prognosis in breast cancer patients.

Background: Compelling evidence has indicated a significant association between leukocyte mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) and prognosis of several malignancies in a cancer-specific manner. However, whether leukocyte mtDNAcn can predict the clinical outcome of breast cancer (BC) patients has not been well investigated.

Methods: The mtDNA copy number of peripheral blood leukocytes from 661 BC patients was measured using a Multiplex AccuCopy™Kit based on a multiplex fluorescence competitive PCR principle.

The association between plasma chemokines and breast cancer risk and prognosis: A mendelian randomization study.

Despite the potential role of several chemokines in the migration of cytotoxic immune cells to prohibit breast cancer cell proliferation, a comprehensive view of chemokines and the risk and prognosis of breast cancer is scarce, and little is known about their causal associations. With a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach, genetic instruments associated with 30 plasma chemokines were created. Their genetic associations with breast cancer and its survival by molecular subtypes were extracted from the recent genome-wide association study of 133,384 breast cancer cases and 113,789 controls, with available survival information for 96,661 patients.

Thrombospondin 2 is a Functional Predictive and Prognostic Biomarker for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Patients With Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by a more aggressive biological behavior and unfavorable outcome. Circulating and histological expression of THBS2 has been demonstrated to be a novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in patients with various types of tumors. However, few studies have evaluated the predictive and prognostic value of THBS2 in TNBC specifically.

Clinical application of artificial neural network (ANN) modeling to predict BRCA1/2 germline deleterious variants in Chinese bilateral primary breast cancer patients.

Background: Bilateral breast cancer (BBC), as well as ovarian cancer, are significantly associated with germline deleterious variants in BRCA1/2, while BRCA1/2 germline deleterious variants carriers can exquisitely benefit from poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. However, formal genetic testing could not be carried out for all patients due to extensive use of healthcare resources, which in turn results in high medical costs. To date, existing BRCA1/2 deleterious variants prediction models have been developed in women of European or other descent who are quite genetically different from Asian population.