Molecular Pathways of Breast Cancer in Systemic Sclerosis: Exploratory Immunohistochemical Analysis from the Sclero-Breast Study.

Several authors reported an increased risk of cancer in SSc patients, including breast cancer (BC). Nevertheless, the mechanisms underlying this association have not yet been clarified. SSc and BC share several molecular pathways, which seem to play a common etiopathogenetic role.

Predictive factors for relapse in triple-negative breast cancer patients without pathological complete response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Introduction: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients who do not obtain pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) present higher rate of relapse and worse overall survival. Risk factors for relapse in this subset of patients are poorly characterized. This study aimed to identify the predictive factors for relapse in TNBC patients without pCR after NACT.

Clinical and Pathological Features of Breast Cancer in Systemic Sclerosis: Results from the Sclero-Breast Study.

Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic disease associated with a 1.5-fold increase in cancer risk, including lung cancer, hematological malignancies, and breast cancer (BC). This is a retrospective study aiming to explore the clinical and pathological features of BC developed by SSc patients.

Application of OSNA Nomogram in Patients With Macrometastatic Sentinel Lymph Node: A Retrospective Assessment of Accuracy.

Introduction: Almost 50% to 70% of patients who undergo axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) because of a single metastatic sentinel lymph node (SLN) have no further metastatic nodes at the axillary histology. On these grounds, the one-step nucleic acid amplification (OSNA) nomogram was designed and validated. As a mathematical model, calculated through tumor size (expressed in millimeters) and CK19 mRNA copy number, it is thought to predict nonsentinel lymph node (NSLN) status.

Immune microenvironment and intrinsic subtyping in hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer.

Little is known regarding the interaction between immune microenvironment and tumor biology in hormone receptor (HR)+/HER2- breast cancer (BC). We here assess pretreatment gene-expression data from 66 HR+/HER2- early BCs from the LETLOB trial and show that non-luminal tumors (HER2-enriched, Basal-like) present higher tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte levels than luminal tumors. Moreover, significant differences in immune infiltrate composition, assessed by CIBERSORT, were observed: non-luminal tumors showed a more proinflammatory antitumor immune infiltrate composition than luminal ones.

Surrogate Molecular Classification of Invasive Breast Carcinoma: A Comparison Between Core Needle Biopsy and Surgical Excision, With and Without Neoadjuvant Therapy.

Surrogate molecular classification identifies different subtypes of invasive breast carcinoma on the basis of their immunohistochemical markers. The purpose of the study is to verify whether the immunohistochemical markers and surrogate molecular subtypes can be correctly assessed on the core needle biopsy (CNB) when compared with the corresponding surgical excision (SE), with or without neoadjuvant treatment (NAT). Cases with invasive carcinomas identified on both CNB and SE were retrospectively selected.

Genomic alterations at the basis of treatment resistance in metastatic breast cancer: clinical applications.

The standard of care for breast cancer has gradually evolved from empirical treatments based on clinical-pathological characteristics to the use of targeted approaches based on the molecular profile of the tumor. Consequently, an increasing number of molecularly targeted drugs have been developed. These drugs target specific alterations, called driver mutations, which confer a survival advantage to cancer cells.

Immune characterization of breast cancer metastases: prognostic implications.

Background: Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) evaluated in primary breast cancer (BC) convey prognostic information. Limited data in the metastatic setting are available.

Methods: Secondary lesions from 94 BC patients, 43 triple-negative (TN) and 51 HER2-positive, were evaluated for TILs and expression of CD8, FOXP3, and PD-L1 by immunohistochemistry.

GD2 expression in breast cancer.

Breast cancer (BC) is a heterogeneous disease, including different subtypes having diverse incidence, drug-sensitivity and survival rates. In particular, claudin-low and basal-like BC have mesenchymal features with a dismal prognosis. Disialoganglioside GD2 is a typical neuroectodermal antigen expressed in a variety of cancers.

Prospective Biomarker Analysis of the Randomized CHER-LOB Study Evaluating the Dual Anti-HER2 Treatment With Trastuzumab and Lapatinib Plus Chemotherapy as Neoadjuvant Therapy for HER2-Positive Breast Cancer.

Background: The CHER-LOB randomized phase II study showed that the combination of lapatinib and trastuzumab plus chemotherapy increases the pathologic complete remission (pCR) rate compared with chemotherapy plus either trastuzumab or lapatinib. A biomarker program was prospectively planned to identify potential predictors of sensitivity to different treatments and to evaluate treatment effect on tumor biomarkers.

Materials And Methods: Overall, 121 breast cancer patients positive for human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) were randomly assigned to neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus trastuzumab, lapatinib, or both trastuzumab and lapatinib.

Progesterone receptor status and clinical outcome in breast cancer patients with estrogen receptor-positive locoregional recurrence.

Aims And Background: The aim of this retrospective multicenter study was to evaluate the impact of progesterone receptor (PgR) loss on locoregional recurrence in patients with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive primary breast cancer and ER-positive locoregional recurrence.

Patients And Methods: Eight Italian oncology centers collected data from consecutive patients with ER-positive breast cancer and a subsequent ER-positive locoregional recurrence.

Results: Data were available for 265 patients diagnosed with breast cancer between 1990 and 2009.

Quantitative expression of estrogen receptor on relapse biopsy for ER-positive breast cancer: prognostic impact.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic impact of quantitative estrogen receptor (ER) expression at relapse for ER-positive breast cancer with ER-positive recurrence.

Patients And Methods: A total of 81 patients with ER-positive primary breast cancer and ER-positive paired recurrence were included. ER expression was evaluated as the percentage of tumor cells staining for ER under immunohistochemistry.

Double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, randomized, phase IIb neoadjuvant study of letrozole-lapatinib in postmenopausal hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative, operable breast cancer.

Purpose: This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study aimed to evaluate the clinical and biologic effects of letrozole plus lapatinib or placebo as neoadjuvant therapy in hormone receptor (HR) -positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) -negative operable breast cancer.

Methods: Ninety-two postmenopausal women with stage II to IIIA primary breast cancer were randomly assigned to preoperative therapy consisting of 6 months of letrozole 2.5 mg orally daily plus lapatinib 1,500 mg orally daily or placebo.

Tumor size, node status, grading, HER2 and estrogen receptor status still retain a strong value in patients with operable breast cancer diagnosed in recent years.

Breast cancer prognosis has improved greatly in recent years. Consequently, a thorough search for sensitive prognostic factors, able to help clinicians offer appropriate therapy, has become a priority in this area. In this study, we considered all new cases of invasive breast cancer diagnosed in the Province of Modena, Italy, between 1997 and 2007, registered by the Modena Cancer Registry.

Ameloblastoma: a neglected criterion for nevoid basal cell carcinoma (Gorlin) syndrome.

Ameloblastomas are considered to be aggressive and locally invasive neoplasms derived from odontogenic epithelium with a tendency for recurrence and bone destruction. Although the relationship between nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS) and ameloblastoma is less frequent, it might constitute a peculiar stigmata of this hereditary disorder. The objective of the current study was to evaluate whether a combined clinical and biomolecular approach could be useful for the identification of NBCCS among patients with a diagnosis of ameloblastoma.

Predictors of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 fluorescence in-situ hybridisation amplification in immunohistochemistry score 2+ infiltrating breast cancer: a single institution analysis.

Aims: Eligibility for anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) treatments in breast cancer requires a correct HER2 status assessment. Testing guidelines recommend fluorescence in-situ hybridisation (FISH) for samples scored as 2+ by immunohistochemistry. This study investigates the correlation between pathological features and FISH amplification in HER2 2+ breast cancer cases.

Magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasonography in predicting infiltrating residual disease after preoperative chemotherapy in stage II-III breast cancer.

Background: This study was designed to evaluate the accuracy of breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasonography (US) in predicting the extent of breast residual disease after preoperative chemotherapy.

Methods: Patients with stage II-III invasive breast tumors who received preoperative chemotherapy and were imaged with post-treatment MRI were included. Histopathological verification was available for all patients.

Predictive and prognostic role of p53 according to tumor phenotype in breast cancer patients treated with preoperative chemotherapy: a single-institution analysis.

Introduction And Aims: The p53 protein is a mediator of the cellular response to DNA damage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive and/or prognostic value of p53 expression in relation to the molecular subtypes of breast cancer in patients treated with preoperative chemotherapy.

Patients And Methods: Patients with stage II-III breast cancer were included in the study.

Identification of protein clusters predictive of response to chemotherapy in breast cancer patients.

An attempt for the identification of potential biomarkers predictive of response to chemotherapy (CHT) in breast cancer patients has been performed by the use of two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry analysis. Since growth and progression of tumor cells depend also on stromal factors in the microenvironment, we choose to investigate the proteins secreted in Tumor Interstitial Fluid (TIF) and in Normal Interstitial Fluids (NIF). One-hundred and twenty-two proteins have been analyzed and a comparison was also made between the proteomic profile of responders versus nonresponders to CHT.

Comparison of HER-2 and hormone receptor expression in primary breast cancers and asynchronous paired metastases: impact on patient management.

Introduction: The assessment of hormone receptors (HRs) and human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)-2 is necessary to select patients who are candidates for hormonal and anti-HER-2 therapy. The evaluation of these parameters is generally carried out in primary tumors and it is not clear if reassessment in metastatic lesions might have an impact on patient management. The primary aim of this analysis was to compare HER-2 and HR status in primary tumors versus metastatic sites in breast cancer patients.

Phase II, randomized trial of preoperative epirubicin-paclitaxel +/- gefitinib with biomarker evaluation in operable breast cancer.

Purpose: To evaluate the in vivo effect of adding gefitinib to preoperative chemotherapy on the EGFR-dependent p42/44 MAPK in operable breast cancer (BC) patients. Secondary aims: to evaluate EGFR, (p)-EGFR, Ki67, apoptotic index (TUNEL test) and VEGFR2 expression from baseline to surgery, percentage of pathologic complete response (pCR), and toxicity.

Patients And Methods: 90 patients with stage II-IIIA BC have been randomized to receive epirubicin 90 mg/sqm and paclitaxel 175 mg/sqm on day 1 plus: gefitinib 250 mg daily from day 5 to 16 (Arm A, intermittent), gefitinib 250 mg daily from day 1 to 21 (Arm B, continuous), or placebo (Arm C).

Polymorphous adenocarcinoma of the breast. Report of three cases.

We report three cases of polymorphous adenocarcinoma (PLA) of the breast in 37-, 55- and 74-year-old women, respectively. The patients have no evidence of previous malignancy. The tumours consist of monotonous cells showing a wide spectrum of growth patterns: solid nests, trabeculae, tubules, cribriform structures, strands and fascicles reminiscent of polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma of salivary glands.