Neoadjuvant endocrine treatment in hormone receptor-positive breast cancer: Does it result in more breast-conserving surgery?

Background: Patients with locally advanced endocrine positive tumors who will not benefit from chemotherapy can be treated by either primary surgery or neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET). How often does NET result in breast-conserving surgery (BCS)?

Methods: We conducted a literature search in PubMed and Embase, to identify articles on surgical treatment after NET.

Results: In 19 studies the pathological complete response (pCR) rate was reported after NET; an overall pCR rate of 1% was found.

Clinical, Histologic, and Molecular Characteristics of Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase-positive Primary Cutaneous Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma.

Unlike systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma, the vast majority of primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphomas (C-ALCL) do not carry translocations involving the ALK gene and do not express ALK. Expression of ALK protein therefore strongly suggests secondary cutaneous involvement of a systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Recent studies described a small subgroup of ALK-positive C-ALCL, but information on frequency, prognosis, and translocation partners is virtually lacking.