A systematic review on the impact of nutrition and possible supplementation on the deficiency of vitamin complexes, iron, omega-3-fatty acids, and lycopene in relation to increased morbidity in women after menopause.

Unlabelled: A balanced and healthy diet during the menopausal transition and after menopause is crucial for women to reduce the risk for morbidities and chronic diseases due to deficiency of essential nutrients.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of studies that analyzed the impact of vitamin and nutrient deficiencies in postmenopausal women in relation to increased morbidities and chronic conditions.

Methods: Observational studies were searched in the databases PubMed, UpToDate, and Google Scholar.

Intrathecal Therapy Options for Meningeal Carcinomatosis.

Around 5 percent of all patients with metastatic breast cancer go on to develop distant metastases in the meninges, also known as meningeal carcinomatosis. The median survival of these patients is between 3.5 and 4.

Recommendation and intake of dietary supplements periconceptional and during pregnancy: results of a nationwide survey of gynaecologists.

Background: Micronutrient supplementation during pregnancy is a controversial issue. For some micronutrients, for example folic acid or iodine, the evidence regarding supplementation is clear, whereas for others, such as zinc or vitamin E, it is not. Studies show that a large number of pregnant women have deficient levels of folic acid and iodine.

Impact of AKT1 on cell invasion and radiosensitivity in a triple negative breast cancer cell line developing brain metastasis.

Introduction: The PI3K/AKT pathway is activated in 43-70% of breast cancer (BC)-patients and promotes the metastatic potential of BC cells by increasing cell proliferation, invasion and radioresistance. Therefore, AKT1-inhibition in combination with radiotherapy might be an effective treatment option for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC)-patients with brain metastases.

Methods: The impact of AKT1-knockout (AKT1_KO) and AKT-inhibition using Ipatasertib on MDA-MB-231 BR cells was assessed using in vitro cell proliferation and migration assays.

Key Role of Hyaluronan Metabolism for the Development of Brain Metastases in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Breast cancer (BC) is the second-most common cause of brain metastases (BM) and BCBM patients have a reduced quality of life and a poor prognosis. Hyaluronan (HA), and in particular the hyaluronidase Hyal-1, has been already linked to the development of BCBM, and therefore presents an interesting opportunity to develop new effective therapeutic options. HA metabolism was further discovered by the CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of HYAL1 and the shRNA-mediated down-regulation of HA-receptor CD44 in the brain-seeking triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell line MDA-MB-231-BR.

Detection and Characterization of Estrogen Receptor α Expression of Circulating Tumor Cells as a Prognostic Marker.

CTCs have increasingly been used as a liquid biopsy analyte to obtain real-time information on the tumor through minimally invasive blood analyses. CTCs allow for the identification of proteins relevant for targeted therapies. Here, we evaluated the expression of estrogen receptors (ER) in CTCs of patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Characteristics of patients with brain metastases from human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive breast cancer: subanalysis of Brain Metastases in Breast Cancer Registry.

Background: Up to 40% of patients with metastatic human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer develop brain metastases (BMs). Understanding of clinical features of these patients with HER2-positive breast cancer and BMs is vital.

Patients And Methods: A total of 2948 patients from the Brain Metastases in Breast Cancer registry were available for this analysis, of whom 1311 had primary tumors with the HER2-positive subtype.

Insights into the Steps of Breast Cancer-Brain Metastases Development: Tumor Cell Interactions with the Blood-Brain Barrier.

Brain metastases (BM) represent a growing problem for breast cancer (BC) patients. Recent studies have demonstrated a strong impact of the BC molecular subtype on the incidence of BM development. This study explores the interaction between BC cells of different molecular subtypes and the blood-brain barrier (BBB).

Predicting Prognosis of Breast Cancer Patients with Brain Metastases in the BMBC Registry-Comparison of Three Different GPA Prognostic Scores.

Several scores have been developed in order to estimate the prognosis of patients with brain metastases (BM) by objective criteria. The aim of this analysis was to validate all three published graded-prognostic-assessment (GPA)-scores in a subcohort of 882 breast cancer (BC) patients with BM in the Brain Metastases in the German Breast Cancer (BMBC) registry. The median age at diagnosis of BM was 57 years.

Correction: Treatment Landscape and Prognosis After Treatment with Trastuzumab Emtansine.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1055/a-1286-2917.].

Treatment Landscape and Prognosis After Treatment with Trastuzumab Emtansine.

Pertuzumab and T-DM1 are two efficient anti-HER2 treatments for patients with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer. While pertuzumab is usually given in first-line treatment and T-DM1 in second-line treatment, standard therapy options seem to be exhausted up to now after the treatment of patients with these two therapy options. Therefore, it is important to have data that describes the therapy situation and prognosis after T-DM1 treatment.

Characteristics and Clinical Outcome of Breast Cancer Patients with Asymptomatic Brain Metastases.

: Brain metastases (BM) have become a major challenge in patients with metastatic breast cancer. : The aim of this analysis was to characterize patients with asymptomatic BM ( = 580) in the overall cohort of 2589 patients with BM from our Brain Metastases in Breast Cancer Network Germany (BMBC) registry. : Compared to symptomatic patients, asymptomatic patients were slightly younger at diagnosis (median age: 55.

Initial experience with CDK4/6 inhibitor-based therapies compared to antihormone monotherapies in routine clinical use in patients with hormone receptor positive, HER2 negative breast cancer - Data from the PRAEGNANT research network for the first 2 years of drug availability in Germany.

Purpose: Treatment with CDK4/6 inhibitors and endocrine therapy (CDK4/6i + ET) is a standard for patients with advanced hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative (HR + HER2-) breast cancer (BC). However, real-world data on the implementation of therapy usage, efficacy, and toxicity have not yet been reported.

Methods: The PRAEGNANT registry was used to identify advanced HR + HER2- BC patients (n = 1136).

Influence of oral vitamin and mineral supplementation on male infertility: a meta-analysis and systematic review.

This meta-analysis and systematic review investigated evidence of the effect of oral micronutrient supplementation on male fertility. Following searches of PubMed, Ovid/Ovid Medline(r) and Embase, 18 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials were included in the meta-analysis (seven studies) and/or the systematic review (12 studies). The meta-analysis showed significant improvement in semen parameters for selenium (200µg/day and 100µg/day) (standard mean difference [SMD] 0.

Development of central nervous system metastases as a first site of metastatic disease in breast cancer patients treated in the neoadjuvant trials GeparQuinto and GeparSixto.

Background: The incidence of central nervous system (CNS) metastases in breast cancer patients is rising and has become a major clinical challenge. Only few data are published concerning risk factors for the development of CNS metastases as a first site of metastatic disease in breast cancer patients. Moreover, the incidence of CNS metastases after modern neoadjuvant treatment is not clear.

Treatment and outcomes of patients in the Brain Metastases in Breast Cancer Network Registry.

Background: Brain metastases (BMs) have a major impact on life expectancy and quality of life for many breast cancer patients. Knowledge about treatment patterns and outcomes is limited.

Methods: We analysed clinical data of 1712 patients diagnosed with BMs from breast cancer between January 2000 and December 2016 at 80 institutions.

Systemic Treatment Options for HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Patients with Brain Metastases beyond Trastuzumab: A Literature Review.

Background: The incidence of brain metastases (BM) in breast cancer patients has increased. Many retrospective analyses have shown that first-line treatment with trastuzumab prolongs survival in patients with HER2-positive BM. In contrast, the evidence for other therapies targeting HER2 for patients with BM is rare.

Efficacy of Liposomal Cytarabine in the Treatment of Leptomeningeal Metastasis of Breast Cancer.

Background: Breast cancer is one of the most frequent causes of leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) among solid tumors in adults. The prognosis of patients with LM is poor. A treatment option is the intrathecal administration of liposomal cytarabine.

Quality of life in patients with recurrent breast cancer after second breast-conserving therapy in comparison with mastectomy: the German experience.

Background: Although some studies suggest that breast-conserving therapy (BCT) shows better psychosocial outcomes than mastectomy in patients with primary breast cancer, little is known about the outcomes of these surgical options in recurrent breast cancer. We investigated differences in overall survival and re-recurrence rates as well as psychosocial outcomes among patients who underwent BCT or mastectomy after the diagnosis of recurrent breast cancer in a single-center setting.

Methods: 124 of 186 eligible patients who underwent surgical treatment for breast cancer recurrence completed the questionnaires on quality of life (EORTC QLQ-C30 and -BR23), fear of progression (PA-F-KF), anxiety and depression (HADS), and body image (BIS).

Role of HYAL1 expression in primary breast cancer in the formation of brain metastases.

Background: The incidence of brain metastases in breast cancer patients has increased in the last years. However, the knowledge about tumor cell invasion in the brain is still very limited. Based on our recent study on cDNA microarray data of breast cancer patients, we hypothesized that two enzymes involved in the hyaluronan metabolism, namely, hyaluronan synthase 2 (HAS2) and hyaluronidase 1 (HYAL1) are associated with brain metastases formation.

Radiological Patterns of Brain Metastases in Breast Cancer Patients: A Subproject of the German Brain Metastases in Breast Cancer (BMBC) Registry.

Evidence about distribution patterns of brain metastases with regard to breast cancer subtypes and its influence on the prognosis of patients is insufficient. Clinical data, cranial computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of 300 breast cancer patients with brain metastases (BMs) were collected retrospectively in four centers participating in the Brain Metastases in Breast Cancer Registry (BMBC) in Germany. Patients with positive estrogen (ER), progesterone (PR), or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) statuses, had a significantly lower number of BMs at diagnosis.

Comparison of nine prognostic scores in patients with brain metastases of breast cancer receiving radiotherapy of the brain.

Purpose: Several prognostic indices (PI) have been developed to stratify patients with brain metastases in groups with good or bad prognosis. The aim of our study was to compare nine prognostic scores for patients with brain metastases (BM) of breast cancer receiving radiotherapy.

Methods: The clinical data of 139 breast cancer patients with BM were collected retrospectively.

Role of urokinase plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor mRNA expression as prognostic factors in molecular subtypes of breast cancer.

Background: Protein levels of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and its inhibitor (PAI-1) determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay from fresh-frozen tumor tissue have been evaluated as prognostic factors in prospectively randomized trials in breast cancer. However, the role of uPA and PAI-1 in the context of breast cancer subtypes and for mRNA expression of these factors is less clear.

Methods: We evaluated uPA and PAI-1 mRNA expression using the Affymetrix HG-U 133A array within molecular subgroups of breast cancer in cohorts of patients with systemic treatment (cohort A, n=362) and without systemic treatment (cohort B, n=200).