Publications by authors named "Jennifer Son"

Background: For patients with clinically node-positive (cN+) breast cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), retrieving previously clipped, biopsy-proven positive lymph nodes during sentinel lymph node biopsy [i.e., targeted axillary dissection (TAD)] may reduce false negative rates.

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  • The study investigates the impact of internal mammary lymphadenopathy (IML) on breast cancer treatment and outcomes, focusing on patients from the I-SPY-2 clinical trial between 2010 and 2022.
  • Out of 2095 patients, 198 were found to have IML, with most detected via MRI; younger age, larger tumors, and higher tumor grade were linked to IML presence.
  • Although IML patients were more likely to receive radiation therapy, there were no significant differences in recurrence rates or event-free survival compared to patients without IML, suggesting that IML is not a negative prognostic factor when treated with modern approaches.
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Background: Tension in the spinal cord is a trademark of tethered cord syndrome. Unfortunately, existing tests cannot quantify tension across the bulk of the cord, making the diagnostic evaluation of stretch ambiguous. A potential non-destructive metric for spinal cord tension is ultrasound-derived shear wave velocity (SWV).

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  • Researchers studied how axillary surgery practices have changed over time following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer patients enrolled in the I-SPY2 trial from 2011 to 2021.
  • The findings showed a significant decrease in axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) procedures, particularly in patients who were clinically node-positive (cN+) at diagnosis, with a corresponding increase in the use of sentinel lymph node (SLN) surgery.
  • These trends indicate a shift in surgical practices, with less extensive surgery being performed after NAC, particularly for patients showing node positivity before treatment, reflecting evolving clinical approaches prior to further research outcomes.
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Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) increases rates of successful breast-conserving surgery (BCS) in patients with breast cancer. However, some studies suggest that BCS after NAC may confer an increased risk of locoregional recurrence (LRR). We assessed LRR rates and locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRFS) in patients enrolled on I-SPY2 (NCT01042379), a prospective NAC trial for patients with clinical stage II to III, molecularly high-risk breast cancer.

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Background: Up to 42% of all breast cancer patients undergo post-mastectomy reconstruction, however reconstructive techniques have not been widely studied in patients with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Reconstructive complications may delay adjuvant treatments; in TNBC, which inherently carries an increased risk of locoregional recurrence, this can greatly affect oncological outcomes. Therefore, we evaluate factors influencing choice of reconstructive techniques following mastectomy in TNBC patients and assess operative and oncologic safety outcomes.

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Introduction: Male breast cancer (MBC) accounts for 0.5% to 1% of all breast cancers diagnosed annually. The purpose of this study is to evaluate prognostic factors in MBC.

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Background: Only 42% of all breast cancer patients undergoing mastectomy elect for breast reconstruction.

Objective: We evaluate factors impacting complications, recurrence, and mortality in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients undergoing reconstruction.

Methods: Reconstructive TNBC patients at a single institution from 2010 to 2020 were retrospectively reviewed.

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Introduction: Less than 1% of all breast cancers are diagnosed in males. In females, postmastectomy breast reconstruction is associated with increased patient satisfaction. However, there is a paucity of literature describing reconstructive options for postmastectomy deformity in the male chest.

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Objective: Monitoring microcirculation and visualizing microvasculature are critical for providing diagnosis to medical professionals and guiding clinical interventions. Ultrasound provides a medium for monitoring and visualization; however, there are challenges due to the complex microscale geometry of the vasculature and difficulties associated with quantifying perfusion. Here, we studied established and state-of-the-art ultrasonic modalities (using six probes) to compare their detection of slow flow in small microvasculature.

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Cotton balls are a versatile and efficient tool commonly used in neurosurgical procedures to absorb fluids and manipulate delicate tissues. However, the use of cotton balls is accompanied by the risk of accidental retention in the brain after surgery. Retained cotton balls can lead to dangerous immune responses and potential complications, such as adhesions and textilomas.

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  • Breast cancer is a leading cause of death in women, particularly affecting those over 70, who often receive different treatment protocols, especially concerning radiation therapy.
  • A study of 118 elderly breast cancer patients revealed that older age correlated with a lower likelihood of receiving radiotherapy, while those with HER2-negative tumors were more likely to get it.
  • The findings suggest that age significantly impacts treatment decisions, indicating a need for further research into why chronological age, rather than biological health, affects the use of radiotherapy in these patients.*
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Background: Surgical treatment of invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) is challenging due to its diffuse growth pattern, and the positive margin rate after mastectomy is poorly described.

Methods: We retrospectively determined the positive margin rate in those with stage I-III ILC undergoing mastectomy. We evaluated the relationship between management strategy and recurrence free survival (RFS).

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There has been a tremendous evolution in our thinking about cancer since the 1880s. Breast cancer is a particularly good example to evaluate the progress that has been made and the new challenges that have arisen due to screening that inadvertently identifies indolent lesions. The degree to which overdiagnosis is a problem depends on the reservoir of indolent disease, the disease heterogeneity, and the fraction of the tumors that have aggressive biology.

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Background: Although rates of total skin-sparing (nipple-sparing) mastectomies are increasing, the oncologic safety of this procedure has not been evaluated in invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC). ILC is the second most common type of breast cancer, and its diffuse growth pattern and high positive margin rates potentially increase the risk of poor outcomes from less extensive surgical resection.

Methods: We compared time to local recurrence and positive margin rates in a cohort of 300 patients with ILC undergoing either total skin-sparing mastectomy (TSSM), skin-sparing mastectomy, or simple mastectomy between the years 2000-2020.

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Ultrasonography is an essential tool in pediatric imaging, particularly in the emergency setting. Although ultrasound is often the favored initial modality for abdominal imaging in children, it is highly operator-dependent and therefore prone to misinterpretation which can lead to false positive or negative exams, or even incorrect diagnoses. Conditions discussed in this series include ileocolic intussusception, hypertrophic pyloric stenosis, appendicitis, and ingested foreign bodies.

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Background: To our knowledge, the fluoroscopic practice patterns of pregnant diagnostic radiologists have not been documented.

Objective: To describe the fluoroscopic practice patterns during pregnancy among members of the Society for Pediatric Radiology (SPR) and potential impact on career and professional relationships.

Materials And Methods: After approval from the SPR, we sent all 1,847 SPR members an email link to an anonymous online survey that queried how pregnancy affects a practicing radiologist who performs fluoroscopy.

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MR imaging is frequently used to assess pediatric genital disorders. The ability to obtain 3-dimensional sequences allowing for multiplanar reformations and sequences designed to minimize motion artifact have aided in the imaging evaluation in the pediatric population. For certain genital disorders, such as Müllerian duct anomalies, MR imaging has become the standard imaging technique.

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Background: Obesity is becoming increasingly common in the elderly population, and it adds to the complexity of treatment decisions in this population. We aimed to investigate whether body mass index (BMI) affects care in this subset of patients.

Patients And Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review on 118 patients over the age of 70 years diagnosed with breast cancer and pathologically proven axillary disease over an 8-year period at an urban academic hospital and compared BMI to treatment received, clinical stage, and hormone receptor status.

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Background: Outpatient, non-emergent upper gastrointestinal (GI) series are frequently requested in children with no surgical history who have nonspecific symptoms such as abdominal pain, failure to thrive and vomiting. The positive yield of an upper GI series in these patients, and, thus, its utility, has not been studied.

Objectives: We evaluated the incidence of positive upper GI findings in children without a history of GI pathology or abdominal surgery in order to identify clinical indications associated with a greater diagnostic yield.

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Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, debilitating disease with definitive treatment consisting of wide surgical excision of all affected tissue. Originally described in burns, Marjolin's ulcer (MU) has been described in a variety of wound types, including hidradenitis. HS patients often have long delays to diagnosis and management of their chronic wounds, leading to increased risk of MU.

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Transperineal US has increased in use in the last decade. It is helpful in the evaluation of distal genitourinary structures, the rectum and overlying soft tissues. When used in conjunction with transabdominal US, transperineal US can further delineate anatomy and assess abnormalities that affect the lower pelvis.

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