Prediction of pathological complete response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for HER2-negative breast cancer patients with routine immunohistochemical markers.

Background: Pathological complete response (pCR) is an established surrogate marker for prognosis in patients with breast cancer (BC) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Individualized pCR prediction based on clinical information available at biopsy, particularly immunohistochemical (IHC) markers, may help identify patients who could benefit from preoperative chemotherapy.

Methods: Data from patients with HER2-negative BC who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy from 2002 to 2020 (n = 1166) were used to develop multivariable prediction models to estimate the probability of pCR (pCR-prob).

Cell-free tumor DNA analysis in advanced or metastatic breast cancer patients: mutation frequencies, testing intention, and clinical impact.

Background: Circulating cell-free tumor DNA (ctDNA) provides a non-invasive approach for assessing somatic alterations. The German PRAEGNANT registry study aims to explore molecular biomarkers and investigate their integration into clinical practice. In this context, ctDNA testing was included to understand the motivations of clinicians to initiate testing, to identify somatic alterations, and to assess the clinical impact of the results obtained.

[Importance of parametric and molecular imaging for therapeutic management of breast cancer].

Background: In recent years, various magnetic resonance (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) parameters have been investigated in breast cancer. Parametric imaging focuses on the visualization and quantification of biological, physiological, and pathological processes at the cellular and molecular level. It therefore provides important insights into the key processes in carcinogenesis and tumor progression.

Comparative assessment of breast volume using a smartphone device versus MRI.

Background: Assessment of breast volume has a relevance for aesthetic surgery and for the prevention and prediction of breast diseases. This study investigated breast volume measurements using a three-dimensional (3D) body surface scanner integrated in a smartphone device in comparison with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.

Methods: Breast volume was assessed for 22 women who underwent routine MRI imaging.

Complement activation by IgM autoantibodies linked to immune-mediated neuropathies depends on C2.

Background And Purpose: Complement factor C2 is a potential therapeutic target in immune-mediated neuropathies. However, literature suggests that classical complement pathway activation may proceed to C3 in the absence of C2, a so-called "C2 bypass." Here, we evaluated a C2 bypass mechanism during complement activation by pathogenic human IgM from patients with immune-mediated neuropathies.

Prognosis prediction with the IHC3 score in patients with node-negative, hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative early breast cancer.

Background: Prognostication has been used to identify patient populations that could potentially benefit from treatment de-escalation. In patients with hormone receptor-positive (HRpos), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2neg) early breast cancer (eBC), treatment de-escalation classically involved omitting chemotherapy. With recently developed specialized therapies that require hands-on side-effect management, the therapeutic landscape is changing and therapy decisions are no longer based only on prognosis, but also consider potential side-effects.

The impact of physical activity on progression-free and overall survival in metastatic breast cancer based on molecular subtype.

Background: Although adequate physical activity has been shown to be beneficial in early breast cancer, evidence in metastatic breast cancer is sparse and contradictory, which could be related to distinct effects of physical activity on the different molecular cancer subtypes. Therefore, we here evaluated the effect of physical activity on progression-free and overall survival (PFS, OS) in metastatic breast cancer, specifically looking at molecular subtypes.

Methods: International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) questionnaires, filled out by patients enrolled in the prospective PRAEGNANT registry (NCT02338167; n = 1,270) were used to calculate metabolic equivalent task (MET) minutes, which were subsequently categorized into low (n = 138), moderate (n = 995) or high IPAQ categories (n = 137).

Tumor-Associated Neutrophils Are a Negative Prognostic Factor in Early Luminal Breast Cancers Lacking Immunosuppressive Macrophage Recruitment.

Background: Tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) are important modulators of the tumor microenvironment with opposing functions that can promote and inhibit tumor progression. The prognostic role of TANs in early luminal breast cancer is unclear.

Methods: A total of 144 patients were treated for early-stage hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer as part of an Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation (APBI) phase II trial.

Prognostic impact of selection criteria of current adjuvant endocrine therapy trials NATALEE and monarchE in postmenopausal HRpos/HER2neg breast cancer patients treated with upfront letrozole.

Background: The monarchE and NATALEE trials demonstrated the benefit of CDK4/6 inhibitor (CDK4/6i) therapy in adjuvant breast cancer (BC) treatment. Patient selection, based on clinical characteristics, delineated those at high (monarchE) and high/intermediate recurrence risk (NATALEE). This study employed a historical patient cohort to describe the proportion and prognosis of patients eligible for adjuvant CDK4/6i trials.

Correlation of RANK and RANKL with mammographic density in primary breast cancer patients.

Purpose: The receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B (RANK) and its ligand (RANKL) have been shown to promote proliferation of the breast and breast carcinogenesis. The objective of this analysis was to investigate whether tumor-specific RANK and RANKL expression in patients with primary breast cancer is associated with high percentage mammographic density (PMD), which is a known breast cancer risk factor.

Methods: Immunohistochemical staining of RANK and RANKL was performed in tissue microarrays (TMAs) from primary breast cancer samples of the Bavarian Breast Cancer Cases and Controls (BBCC) study.

CDK4/6 Inhibition - Therapy Sequences and the Quest to Find the Best Biomarkers - an Overview of Current Programs.

In recent years, new targeted therapies have been developed to treat patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) breast cancer. Some of these therapies have not just become the new therapy standard but also led to significantly longer overall survival rates. The cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) have become the therapeutic standard for first-line therapy.

IgM anti-GM2 antibodies in patients with multifocal motor neuropathy target Schwann cells and are associated with early onset.

Background: Multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) is a rare, chronic immune-mediated polyneuropathy characterized by asymmetric distal limb weakness. An important feature of MMN is the presence of IgM antibodies against gangliosides, in particular GM1 and less often GM2. Antibodies against GM1 bind to motor neurons (MNs) and cause damage through complement activation.

Long-term Follow-up and Safety of Patients after an Upfront Therapy with Letrozole for Early Breast Cancer in Routine Clinical Care - The PreFace Study.

Introduction: Adjuvant treatment of patients with early-stage breast cancer (BC) should include an aromatase inhibitor (AI). Especially patients with a high recurrence risk might benefit from an upfront therapy with an AI for a minimum of five years. Nevertheless, not much is known about the patient selection for this population in clinical practice.

Initial experience with a next-generation low-field MRI scanner: Potential for breast imaging?

Purpose: Broader clinical adoption of breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) faces challenges such as limited availability and high procedural costs. Low-field technology has shown promise in addressing these challenges. We report our initial experience using a next-generation scanner for low-field breast MRI at 0.

Determination of the clinical relevance of donor epitope-specific HLA-antibodies in kidney transplantation.

In kidney transplantation, survival rates are still partly impaired due to the deleterious effects of donor specific HLA antibodies (DSA). However, not all luminex-defined DSA appear to be clinically relevant. Further analysis of DSA recognizing polymorphic amino acid configurations, called eplets or functional epitopes, might improve the discrimination between clinically relevant vs.

RANK and RANKL Expression in Tumors of Patients with Early Breast Cancer.

Introduction: The receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB (RANK) pathway was associated with the pathogenesis of breast cancer. Several studies attempted to link the RANK/RANKL pathway to prognosis; however, with inconsistent outcomes. We aimed to further contribute to the knowledge about RANK/RANKL as prognostic factors in breast cancer.

Unbiased high-dimensional flow cytometry identified NK and DC immune cell signature in Luminal A-type and triple negative breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women worldwide and a highly heterogeneous disease. Four different subtypes are described that differ in the expression of hormone receptors as well as the growth factor receptor HER2. Treatment modalities and survival rate depend on the subtype of breast cancer.

Clinical Characteristics and Prognosis of HER2-0 and HER2-Low-Positive Breast Cancer Patients: Real-World Data from Patients Treated with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

In our study, we observed the long-term survival outcomes investigated for HER2-0 and HER2-low-positive breast cancer patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Between 1998 and 2020, 10,333 patients with primary breast cancer were treated, including 1373 patients with HER2-0 or HER2-low-positive disease with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Descriptive analyses were performed, and logistic regression models and survival analyses were calculated for disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS).

Predicting mammographic density with linear ultrasound transducers.

Background: High mammographic density (MD) is a risk factor for the development of breast cancer (BC). Changes in MD are influenced by multiple factors such as age, BMI, number of full-term pregnancies and lactating periods. To learn more about MD, it is important to establish non-radiation-based, alternative examination methods to mammography such as ultrasound assessments.

Ex Vivo Chromosomal Radiosensitivity Testing in Patients with Pathological Germline Variants in Breast Cancer High-Susceptibility Genes and .

Background: Individual radiosensitivity is an important factor in the occurrence of undesirable consequences of radiotherapy. The potential for increased radiosensitivity has been linked to highly penetrant heterozygous mutations in DNA repair genes such as and . By studying the chromosomal radiosensitivity of mutation carriers compared to the general population, we study whether increased chromosomal radiation sensitivity is observed in patients with variants.